


Fallout/ Mass Effect: United Under Two Skies.

by Gearman



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas, Mass Effect
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, fallout spoilers, that includes four with the later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-05-03 18:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 100,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5301563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gearman/pseuds/Gearman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years after taking the Hoover Dam, Rex Craster, the Courier, stands as the undisputed leader of the Mojave. Armed with the technologies of the old world and the dreams of the new Rex and his companions have formed the foundations of a super power. The Mojave must now withstand threats from within and without, and deal with the culture shock as the Normandy accidentally invades the Falloutverse.</p><p>All comments are welcome, and I adore constructive criticism.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aint that a kick in the head

Rex sat alone in his office at the top of the Lucky 38 looking out over the grey expanse of the Mojave as the sun slowly rose over the mountains. Quietly and with purpose he gently disassembled his 10mm pistol; the process was slow and measured, so as not to damage any of the pieces. It had been his daily ritual for the last two years to clean his pistol before the sun rose; no matter how much sleep he missed out on.

Truth be told, cleaning the gun acted as a sort of therapy both physical and mental for him. Now that he had a small country to run, Rex had no time for the gun fights and quests that had filled his life before the second battle of Hoover Dam. Cleaning the gun kept at least a small part of his old life alive in the boring and somewhat mundane duties of a leader.

The daily chore also acted as perfect physical therapy for Rex as well. It allowed Rex to practice finer movements with his mechanical left arm. He had lost the original in the second battle of the Hoover Dam. Of course, his companions made it through the battle with little more than a few scratches and scars, but Rex was not so lucky.

He remembered that day perfectly, the smell of gun powder in the air, the sounds of bullets whizzing past his head, and the warm feeling in his gut as he fired round after round into the legion troops fighting futilely against his companions and Securitrons. Rex always bragged at being the best shot in the Mojave, and that day he was in rare form. Brandishing his custom twin 10mm pistols he fired shot after shot from their extended mags hitting his targets with accuracy and precision.

In the excitement, he went ahead on his own into the Legate's camp. Making his way through the camp, an improvised fortification of metal walls and tents, he came across Legate Lanius atop the hill overlooking the battle. Rex had tried to talk the massive man into retreating, but with one misspoken word he set the warrior into a fury.

Rex had always preferred ranged combat to close quarters and barely managed to twist his body so the Legate's bumper sword missed his head. Unfortunately, the sword found its way to Rex's shoulder and cut clean through cleaving through. He'd fallen backwards and rolled down the hill as the Legate followed.

The Legate said something then but Rex was bleeding out and he couldn't quite make out what the big bastard had said. Just before he lost what little life he still had left the Legate's head exploded into a bloody cloud. Arcade appeared at Rex's side and some injected some medicine before tying of Rex's stump, and Rex was sent into blackness.

When he woke the battle had been won and the Mojave stood as an independent nation. Rex and his companions took charge of the new nation; establishing a small government of community leaders and set about spending the spoils of war. With the resources of the Hoover Dam, Zion, the Sierra Madre, and the Big Empty the new Mojave could become a super power. Her people were ready for it and welcomed the technological marvels rediscovered by Rex and his companions.

He'd built his mechanical are during the initial rebuilding with the help of Veronica and Christine. The pair were happily reunited after Rex returned to the Sierra Madre for the vending machine technology. It took months of tinkering and adjustments, but the trio had perfected the mechanical prosthetic. Whether it be paperwork or tinkering in his workshop the arm was a suitable replacement.

The arm had been specifically calibrated so as not to interfere with his aim. Though the Mojave was mostly quiet without the Legion, NCR, or the fiends Rex himself was still the target of remnants of the shattered Legion. After launching a nuclear weapon at the Legion stronghold in Denver the legion and routing them at the second battle of the Hoover Dam Rex watched as the Legion shattered and cannibalized itself. Disorganized factions fought for power to the west while also dealing with the newly revealed Midwest Brotherhood of steel.

Though the attacks were far and few these days Rex had ordered the creation of three new legions of Securitrons. In the early days of the united Mojave, the Securitrons were treated as valuable and irreplaceable resources. That changed after Rex found design schematics in Mr. House's databanks and learned to operate the Sierra Madre's vending machines. Using the technology, Rex and his freshly recruited Techs had unlocked the secrets of mass producing Securitrons.

The vending machines also blessed the Mojave with an endless supply of raw material. Anything from pure metal alloys to fabric could be created if enough fissionable material was fed into the machine. What had once been useless scrap could now be transformed into almost anything. Two years after the battle for the hoover dam the Mojave was being stripped clean of junk to serve as raw fissionable material.

As soon as they understood how the tech worked Rex and the think tank went to work creating new coding for the Vending machines. Allowing the Mojave to produce a multitude of new items like steel girders, raw chemicals, medicines, a host of different raw materials like iron and coal, and even more volatile substances like Uranium and Cesium. Though anything more complicated than raw materials produced a high "mutation" rate during mass production. They'd learned that the hard way after a batch of exploding coffee mugs injured several workers.

These resources coupled with the knowledge found in Big Mt.'s archives, any useful knowledge was buried beneath centuries of the Think Tank's mad ramblings, allowed for an unprecedented change in the Mojave. With plans for a G.E.C.K found in the ancient archives of Vault 22, Rex and the newly recruited Big Mt. staff built and used the matter manipulation device to build massive water purifiers to clean the Mojave's water supply. With the power of the G.E.C.K and access to clean water the Mojave's fields were soon bursting with fruits and vegetables.

Rex looked out his window to the rectangular fields of fruits and vegetables spread out across what formerly was rubble and ruin. Securitrons flitted through the roads between these fields as trucks carried workers to their respective fields for the day's work. An achievement rex was personally proud of was the fleet of functional trucks resurrected from centuries of neglect. Many of the sturdiest old trucks from before the war were now operational thanks to their parts being replaced and their micro fusion cells repaired.

Rex sat back and lit a cigarette; he watched the sun rise higher casting light across New Vegas and its surroundings. Lost in thought, he didn't hear Veronica enter carrying the collected reports from throughout the Mojave. ED-E hovered just behind her carrying a tray with two steaming mugs.

Realizing she hadn't been noticed, Veronica looked at her friend as she usually did in the moments he drifted off. His red hair was slicked back showing of his rather bony face and grey eyes; he was tall but slim with little bulk on his body. He hadn't changed much from when they met at the 188-trading post.

The first time she saw Rex she almost laughed out loud because of his get up. He wore goggles, a long-reinforced leather duster strewn with belts and packs containing different odds and ends, worn jeans, a beaten-up pair of black boots, and a large green pack slung across his back. He looked out of place, like he belonged in a workshop somewhere not walking the Mojave. That opinion of him soon changed after he recruited her on his journey. That was two years ago and after all they had been through Veronica was glad she decided to follow him.

Veronica cleared her throat and Rex turned to her snapping out of his daze before saying:

"Oh, good morning Veronica"

"Good morning Rex, ready for this month's reports" Veronica asked placing a steaming mug in front of Rex.

"As ready as I'll ever be" Rex said taking a sip of the hot liquid "Broc Flower Tea again?"

"Arcade says it helps with your immune system." Veronica asked before continuing "Let's start with the New Vegas report: Revenues from the casinos are up 5% this quarter with the Ultra Luxe showing a huge spike in food sales. Crime is down in Freeside, and the rehab clinics are finally showing a low own in new cases. The Thorn is reporting less attendance than usual even for the off season, and Red Lucy is asking about her pet Deathclaws again."

"Just tell they went to a farm up north" Rex said shuddering as he remembered Borous's last report of his experiments on the Deathclaws. It almost made Rex sorry for the monsters. Almost.

"The Farm is reporting an increase in production of about 6% over last year's harvest, and the other independent farms are reporting similar numbers. The agriculture board wants you to confirm some new seed varieties before the planting season starts."

"Oh great, another day spent discussing the pro and cons of Bullman's wheat species or Jax's wheat species." Rex said flicking his cigarette butt into the ash tray across the room.

"You'll do sit and nod when needed. It's basically a done deal anyway" Veronica said flipping through the rest of the file.

"Anything else to report?" Rex asked lighting another cigarette.

"Nothing of any real note on my end" Veronica said, "How's the reactor project coming?"

"Oh, just fine" Rex said relishing the feeling of the nicotine infused smoke going down his throat "If we can maintain stability in stage four it'll give us a hell of a lot more options when it comes to keeping the Mojave's lights on."

One of the few projects at Big Mt. Rex was personally involved in was the initiative to build an enhanced fusion reactor. The progress had been slow, but the Think tank and the team of researchers assigned to the project were close to a stable reaction. When the reactor was ready, its design would be implemented into the Mojave's existing power grid.

Rex's face shifted into a contemplative expression and he rose, placing his pistol in its holster on his hip. The old familiar sense of wanderlust took him then, and he looked to Veronica.

"Veronica let's go for a walk; it's been too long since I've toured the dam" Rex said stretching "got to check up on Raul"

"You're just trying to get out of my report, aren't you?" Veronica asked raising an eyebrow.

Rex shrugged and slipped past her, a smoke trail following him like a jet trail. Veronica sighed and followed Rex hoping he wouldn't use this impromptu tour to get out the day's paper work.


	2. Red menace

Rex exited the Lucky 38 and walked out into the unforgiving Mojave sun. He'd slipped on his reinforced leather duster over his plain white shirt and slightly loose jeans. After lighting another cigarette Rex looked at the main Strip. This early in the morning, the Strip was abuzz with people entering and exiting the casinos or the Mojave government building.

Shortly after the second battle of Hoover Dam Rex converted Gomorrah into a kind of town hall by renovating several floors of the old hotel into office space and meeting rooms. The Omertas had to be convinced to give the property up, but in the end, they left peacefully. Of course, they'd left with Rex's boot marks on their throats, but no one died from that deal.

Any citizen of the Mojave, or anyone seeking citizenship, went to the Mojave government building for any dispute or business deemed too small to go directly to Rex. He watched as several people came out of the building carrying new Pip-boys on their left wrists and green citizenship papers in their hands as they made their way to the trucks heading for the Mojave community they had applied for.

The path to becoming a Mojave citizen was a bit strenuous considering the applicant had to be accepted by the community in which they wanted to live before even being considered. Most new citizens worked for the farmers or ranchers in the area or one of the many factories being reopened across the Mojave until they could afford to move out of community housing into homes of their own. Many of the more down trodden complained that certain people gained citizenship faster than others; which was partly true, anyone with special skills or a trade were almost immediately granted citizenship.

Citizenship meant two things in the Mojave; number one, as a citizen, a person would be protected and relatively safe so long as they did not break any laws. Two every citizen was required to serve the Mojave in some form or another whether it be through taxes or military service. That had been an uphill battle from the start.

The very independent and hard-headed people of the Mojave objected to the taxes, at first. Soon after the roads were repaired and people started to benefit from the work Rex and his construction bots, did people relent. Even then, most only agreed after Rex agreed to a tax policy that while being strict allowed the people of the wastes ample freedoms when it came to their income.

The government building also housed the Mojave's Trader's Authority, the organization that distributed trading permits for the Strip and Freeside as well as oversaw the trade between the Mojave's neighbors like the NCR. Something Rex always found humorous.

It had only been a year since the NCR officially declared a peace treaty after months of threats, so long as the Mojave supplied the NCR with materials and goods they couldn't produce themselves. The NCR wasn't exactly thrilled about the prospect of relying on the Mojave for goods, but their uneasy peace had lasted for a year.

The Ultra Luxe and the Top's remained casinos but both were now owned and operated directly by the Mojave government with all profits going to the small nation's coffers. The chairmen and the white glove society still operated the casinos, but the Mojave government oversaw their business decisions. Rex had taken a hands off approach to the casinos, only intervening when absolutely necessary.

Rex took one last drag and threw his depleted cigarette onto the ground before stomping it out. He withdrew another from his pocket and lit it with a lighter in one of his metal fingers. He looked around at the hulking Securitrons standing guard at either side of the Lucky 38's entrance; their cartoonish soldier faces flickered between annoyance and fury every few seconds on a repeating loop.

The Securitrons truly were a marvel; armored like a tank with pulse shielding on all their circuits coupled with a variety of weapons and gadgets made the machines one of the deadliest weapons in the Mojave's arsenal. Whatever House had paid for them before the war was worth it. The mechs saluted when they noticed his gaze before returning to their silent vigil and Rex smiled slightly before returning to his usual aloof expression.

Rex took a puff of his cigarette and was about to go back into the Lucky 38 to look for Veronica when he felt the ground beneath his feet vibrate slightly before going still. Rex drew his gun and turned around yelling "Attention". The Securitrons in the area came to life summoning their brothers from around the square. A vibration rocked the ground again with greater intensity before once again going still.

Veronica exited the Lucky 38 with ED-E hovering close behind, she wore light leather armor and a saturnite fist whirred slightly on her arm. She shielded her face for a moment before looking to Rex; his normally distant expression was replaced with an expression of intense concentration. His greys eyes focused and intensely scanned the ground beneath them before falling on a small crack in the middle of the street.

The ground shook again and the pavement around the crack exploded into a maelstrom of rubble and debris. The explosion threw several bystanders flying into bushes and walls. Rex twisted around and shielded Veronica from the blast and the Securitrons flew forward taking the brunt of the blast. From the rising cloud of dust bullets flew out towards Rex and Veronica who barely had the time to take shelter behind on of the fallen Securitrons.

As the dust cleared six forms rose from the newly created hole swathed in red body armor and feathers. The Legion. Rex peeked from the small amount of cover before three of the soldiers started firing assault rifles at their position while their comrades began firing into the crowd.

"Shit, where did these guys come from?" Veronica yelled over the sound of gun fire.

"The sewers beneath the street probably" Rex replied popping open an access hatch on the fallen Securitron "I thought House had 'em sealed years ago".

"What did I say about double checking these types of things?" She replied huddling closer against the fire.

"Hey, I did check them two years ago, now quiet down and wait" Rex said as he drew out one of the Securitron's missiles and armed it.

"Wait for what?" She yelled back.

The answer came about three seconds later when the assassin's guns ran out of ammo and the fire from the three assailants stopped. In the two seconds it took to switch mags, Rex stood up and threw the armed missile towards the trio before aiming his pistol and yelling "Welcome to New Vegas". He fired and the bullet struck the missile just as it arced over the attacker's heads.

The missile exploded sending the trio flying in all directions and staggering their comrades. Rex steadied himself and focused on the three attackers. His breathing slowed and time seemed to do the same, and Rex fired three shots in a swift motion hitting each of the would-be assassins piercing their armor with each shot. He hit one in the heart, another in the head, and one in the spine.

"Oh, baby I've still got it" Rex yelled triumphantly.

When the last one fell he ran forward and flipped the screaming soldier over before ripping of the man's helmet and placing the butt of his gun to his temple.

"Who sent you?" He yelled smelling the hot metal burning the man's skin.

The man writhing in pain looked up at Rex and spat out:

"The legion remembers you Courier 6, remember that".

The man smashed his head back and Rex could hear an audible crunch before white foam spewed out of the legionnaire's mouth. Rex let the corpse fall to the ground and stood up to look at the destruction around him. The explosion had been contained to the center of the street, but had wounded several people waiting outside the government building. Soldiers and more Securitrons had already begun to arrive and were loading the wounded into trucks heading to the Mojave's Central Hospital to the north of New Vegas. Veronica was directing traffic as ED-E flew about Blaring the emergency alert:

"PLEASE STAY CALM AND FOLLOW ALL DIRECIONS FROM THE AUTHORITIES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION"

Rex joined the fray performing first aid on several of the less severely wounded and giving orders to the arriving soldiers. After about an hour most of the civilians had been evacuated and the debris brushed to the side. Rex had sent a unit of soldiers into the hole shortly after the attack was over and they were only just now returning. One of them approached Rex and saluted sloppily before handing Rex a crank drill.

"Sir, we found this and several other tools in the sewers where the sewers run alongside the tunnels under the strip; they must have been quietly tunneling for days to get through the concrete" The soldier explained.

"Good work, I want increased patrols in those old tunnels and make sure the Thorn's collection is secured" Rex ordered before turning around and heading back into the Lucky 38 with Veronica and ED-E following close behind.

They rode the elevator to the command center in silence. When they arrived in the command center Rex began barking orders at the assembled men and women of the Mojave's communication corps. The command center used to be the lucky 38's cocktail lounge, but Rex had it outfitted with radio equipment and linked it to the Lucky 38's computer mainframe and network allowing him to get reports from across the Mojave as well as keep in contact with his forces across the wastes.

"Alright everyone I want reports from every outpost and community in five minutes and a report from the dam in one; I want to know if this an assassination attempt or the beginnings of an invasion" Rex yelled before lighting a new cigarette "I want Boon on the radio ASAP, put Camp McCarran on alert now, and someone get a hold of Cass and Lilly"

The collected personnel jumped into action; Veronica went to work as well directing the general chaos of the room. Rex stood there waiting for the different comm lines to open, when Boone's frequency appeared he picked up the transceiver and spoke;

"Boone I need an immediate status report of the Eastern border"

"All's quit here Rex; we haven't seen anything but travelers in months" The soldier replied glumly "What the hell is going on?"

Boone and Rex (the cyber dog) led the eastern border patrol.

"The strip was attacked by a Legion team nothing too serious just a six-man team" Rex explained exhaling grey smoke "I'm sending another dozen Securitrons out to you just to be safe."

"Roger"

Rex disconnected before switching to the other line

"Raul, status of the dam now"

"She's working fine boss, what the fuck is going on out there?" Raul questioned

"There was an attack; we're just making sure everything is secure" Rex explained "make sure everything is secure and functioning"

"Can do boss; I want nothing more than to serve your will" The ghoul said with a little more than a hint of sarcasm

Rex picked up the third line and said:

"Cass are you there I need a status report now"

"Oh, hi dearie this is Grandma, Lil' Cassy is away right now"

"Oh Lilly, have there been any attacks at the Outpost?" Rex asked as sweetly as he could. Lilly and Cass led the forces at the old Mojave outpost; an odd pair to be certain but they got things done.

"Oh, everything's fine down here, but you could visit more often your grandma misses you"

"When all this is over I'll come down and we can have some tea" Rex said looking over the status reports from the other parts of the Mojave.

"Be sure to keep your Promises young man" Lilly said cutting the transmission. Soon after, the entire Mojave checked in; safe and sound.

Rex sighed audibly and rubbed his temples.

"What do you think is going to happen next?" Veronica asked exhausted.

"I don't know, this certainly isn't the first time the Legion tried to kill me" Rex said lighting another cigarette "and it probably won't be the last"

Veronica only nodded remembering the Legion's several failed attempts at taking Rex's life. Rex took a long drag of his cigarette and stared out the window and beyond. He had always wanted to hunt the rest of the legion down and end it, but since most of the leadership died in the second battle for hoover dam it was never really a priority.

The previous attempts at his life had been perpetrated by men and women who called themselves the Legion but represented one piece of a now broken empire with no real leadership or vision. This time was different though, Rex saw something in that man's eyes he hadn't seen in a legionary for a long time, Belief. The unthinking resolve to serve the legion and take your own life rather than be captured and that was scary.

He hadn't seen that since the day he beat Caesar and the NCR. Whatever came next wouldn't be good for the Mojave, but Rex stood with his army and companions ready to face whatever threat jeopardized the safety of the Mojave. He was lost in this thought when suddenly a bright flash of silver fell from the sky and seemed to sail across the horizon towards the Lucky 38. Rex barely had time to wince before the falling object turned sharply just before hitting the tower and crashed just outside of New Vegas.

"What the hell is it now?" Rex asked reloading his gun.

"Maybe it's a crashed alien ship; like in those old comics" Veronica suggested.

"Oh, come on Veronica Aliens, Really?" Rex said entering the elevator.


	3. Arrivals

Commander Jane Shepard sidestepped slowly in a circle with her fists up in defensive position against the bald biotic in front of her. Jack circled as well but had a more relaxed stance and a wicked smile on her face that oozed with obvious delight. Shepard and Jack had made it a habit to spar in the cargo bay after ground missions, and the matches usual ended in a standoff. Even though neither woman was any bigger or stronger than the other, but the battle between Jack's savagery and Shepard's skill and calm demeanor made for a good match.

"Not so light on your feet today, huh girl scout?" Jack said as she threw a kick at Shepard's head.

Shepard blocked the hit and jabbed at jack's head before saying "You try fighting as platoon of mercs and not lose a little steam"

Jack ducked down and sent a blast of biotic energy into Shepard's abdomen sending her back a few feet. Jack went forward and lightly punched Shepard in the stomach sending her to the floor outside the impromptu ring. Shepard jumped back up her dark black hair now out of its ponytail flying in every direction, and cracked her knuckles before saying:

"That was cheap"

Jack only smirks before bracing for Shepard's inevitable counter attack when EDI's holographic form appears between the two.

"Commander, Mordin wishes to see you in his lab regarding the artifact you recovered on your last mission" EDI states before blinking out

"Looks like we'll have to continue this later" Shepard says throwing on her N7 hoodie and making her way to the elevator.

"Anytime girl scout" Jack called as the elevator doors closed.

When Shepard arrived at the lab she saw that Mordin was pacing around a bright green device muttering faintly. Shepard and her team recovered the device from a Blue Suns outpost after the mercenaries attacked an alliance dig site. The device was about the size and height of an end table with a strange almost organic flower like design with a trapezoidal crystal jutting out of its center.

When the salarian saw Shepard he smiled and said:

"Ah Shepard, been running tests on artifact findings…. troubling"

"What do you mean troubling?" Shepard asked examining the glowing device.

"Device emitting energy, didn't notice tell till now, but complications imminent" Mordin said tapping several buttons as a scanner flew around the device "took every precaution of course but underestimated artifacts power; must get crew off Normandy now"

"What's going on Mordin?" Shepard asked as Mordin activated several barriers around the device.

"Device causing quasi-dimensional cracks must leave now, Shepard" the salarian said looking distressed "Must leave before device activates"

Shepard began to question, but as her mouth opened the device began to hum. The pair looked to the device and Mordin yelled "Problematic". The Normandy's lights began to flicker and a slight vibration shook the hull; the device began to glow even brighter.

"We're spacing that thing now" Shepard yelled rushing the device, as she did a pulse of green energy erupted from the device throwing both her and Mordin into the wall. Through a haze Shepard saw the device rise as pulses of green energy erupted from its core before her gaze shifted to the small window and saw that the blackness of space had been replaced by swirls of green light before shifting to blue sky. Shepard regained her composure and lifted Mordin up from the ground and yelled:

"Lock that thing down now; I have to get to Joker" she exited the lab into the CIC where the crew were desperately trying to keep their footing; she moved swiftly to the cockpit where Joker was desperately trying to keep the Normandy stable.

"Joker status report"

"Not good commander; one minute we're flying through empty space and the next our mass effect core goes offline and suddenly I'm flying through atmosphere" Joker replied as a blasted and grey landscape unfolded beneath them and a massive building came into view, directly ahead "Hold on this is going to be close"

Joker turned the ship sharply to the right just missing the building but veered out of control skidding along the sandy ground before coming to a stop amongst a small cluster of ragged homes.

Shepard activated the comm system and addressed the crew:

"Status report"

Tali's voice replied "everyone's okay in engineering; what happened?"

"Working on it"

"This is the crew deck; no casualties to report, but several are injured" Thane commed in "siha what's going on?"

"I'll tell you when I find out myself" Shepard replied turning back to the CIC where Jacob and Mordin were helping with the wounded "Make sure things are okay on each level and gather the rest of the squad in the communications room"

"Got it" Tali replied her line going dead.

"Of course siha"

After the lines went dead Shepard turned back to Joker who was furiously inputting commands:

"Joker what can you tell me about the surroundings"

"Desert terrain with what looks like ruins of …. suburban homes, and a shit ton of ambient radiation; not enough to be really harmful but I wouldn't stand outside for long" Joker said as read out after read out appeared as well as snap shots of the surroundings appeared "If I didn't know any better I'd say those ruins looked like something out of one of those old vids about the fifties"

"Get me as much data on the surroundings as you can; I'll be in the communications room with the rest of the squad" Shepard said as she gestured for Mordin and Jacob to follow her to the communications room where her other squad mates waited.

When they arrived EDI appeared in the center of the table and said;

"Commander, Jeff and I have completed a sweep of the surroundings and have completed a scan of the Normandy's systems"

"What have you got for us EDI?"

"The scans show a large cluster of buildings to the north reminiscent of architecture from the American 1950's on earth, but appear to be in a state of minor disrepair; the amount of ambient nuclear radiation suggest at least a minor nuclear conflict sometime in the last two centuries and judging from the style of the buildings it appears we are near the earth city of Las Vegas"

"EDI I've been to Vegas, it's nothing but city for miles" Jacob said as he leaned against one of the walls.

"I am only relaying what the data suggests no matter how implausible it might seem" EDI explained before continuing "The Normandy's core systems are at reduced capacity but are operational excluding the mass effect core. The core seems to be in working order with no damage or malfunction detectable but will not produce a mass effect field"

"My biotics don't work either" Jack explained raising her fists trying to summon biotic energy to no avail "not getting shit"

"I seem to be in the same situation" Samara said with a frown.

Shepard looked to Miranda and Jacob who both replied "same with us"

"Have theory" Mordin said bringing up a holographic image of the device "Recovered Device capable of trans-universal travel will need time to test but strong evidence to support hypothesis; current universe's physics fundamentally different making mass effect fields an impossibility"

"Another universe that sounds like something out of a b movie" Kasumi uttered to herself.

"Never a dull moment on this ship, is there?" Za'eed said laughing.

"So we're in another universe with no mass effect core, biotics, or assistance from Cerberus or the alliance; the question now is how do we get home?" Shepard said digesting the new information in front of her.

"Working on solution; currently attempting connection to device through Normandy systems will have results soon" Mordin said smiling "if possible to travel possible to travel home"

"Get on that Mordin" Shepard ordered "In the meantime we need to get Intel on our surroundings; I'll take a team out and look around. Thane and Grunt suit up"

"OF course; the dry air will do my condition wonders" Thane says before giving Shepard's hand a squeeze and exits the room.

Grunt on the other hand just pounds his fists together and laughs before leaving the room. The others leave the room silently leaving the room empty except for Garrus and Shepard.

"Just when I think we can't get into any stranger situations something like this happens" Garrus says grinning

"Honestly at this point I wouldn't expect anything less" Shepard replies before exiting the room.

After putting her armor on she met Grunt and Thane at the airlock. Doctor Chakwas was there injecting something into each both of the aliens and when Shepard arrived the veteran doctor stabbed her neck with a needle.

"What was that for doctor?" Shepard yelled rubbing her neck.

"Anti-radiation medicine; it will hopefully keep you safe out there" Chakwas replied before she walked off to help a wounded man fix his brace.

Shepard turned to Thane and Grunt before saying;

"Look since mass effect fields are totally ineffective here our weapons and shields are completely useless so this is strictly recon and if anything gets hairy we get back to the Normandy ASAP"

"Of course siha" Thane replies

"Good now I can punch anything that gets in our way" Grunt says cracking his knuckles.

A moment later the airlock doors open to desert terrain and ruins. Shepard cautiously takes a step out into the sun light shielding her eyes as she looks around. They had landed under a massive highway a few miles off from a tightly clustered section of city surrounded by a massive wall made from what looked like old neon signs and scrap metal. AS she looked around she noticed a large dust cloud approaching; as it got closer Shepard could see what looked to be a truck in the center of a group of twelve blocky looking mechs on wheels. She placed a hand on her useless gun at her hip and waited as the group grew closer. When the group arrived a tall thin man stepped out of the truck.

He wore a long black duster fitted with plating and normal clothes beneath it and a pistol on his left hip. His slicked back red hair had a pair of clear goggles resting atop them and a cigarette hanged loosely from his lips sending trails of smoke upward as his grey eyes intently examined the scene. Soon a woman came to stand by the man's side wearing leather armor and a mechanized glove on her right hand and a spherical robot floated just behind them beeping softly. The man stared at Shepard for a long time before looking behind her to where Grunt and Thane stood bracing for action. After an eternity he spoke:

"Who the fuck are you?" he yells taking a long drag off of his cigarette before raising his fist in the air causing the robots to raise their arms obviously priming weapons "And I sincerely hope you have a good answer"


	4. Synergy Meetings

Shepard looked down at the man her hand resting on her useless pistol thinking for a moment before replying:

"The name's Shepard, my crew and I mean you no harm"

The man gestures to the mechs to lower their guns and reaches into his duster and withdraws what looked like bottle caps before handing them to the woman just behind him and turning back to cast his gaze on Shepard then to Thane and Grunt before returning his gaze to Shepard. He lights a cigarette before making the walk towards Shepard allowing his duster to part slightly revealing the large handgun at his hip. Shepard also noticed the shiny black meatal around his left hand when he reached them the man extended his hand and said:

"I'm Rex the owner of the tower you just dinged"

"Sorry about that we've been experiencing some technical troubles" Shepard says shaking the man's hand "we can compensate you for any damages we caused"

Rex looked around at the shimmering hulk of the downed Normandy as his expression changed from intense focus to bored apathy as if he no longer considered Shepard a threat. Shepard watched his expression change closely noting that he was still tensed. The aloof expression was an act she realized; he was still very much on guard.

"The only thing you've damaged was already in ruins beforehand; thankfully you managed to miss the residential section" Rex says finishing his sweep of the banged up and smoking ship "it seems your ship here has suffered some heavy damage; it just so happens I have some of the finest mechanics in the region"

"Thank you, but we should be fine" Shepard says as her Omni tool activates displaying a vid feed of engineering. Rex raised his eyebrows as the image suddenly appeared from Shepard's wrist.

"Commander, we have a problem" Tali said "The damage is far more serious than I thought; the Normandy's superstructure has degraded rapidly, we need to get everyone off the ship as soon as possible"

"Dammit" Shepard turns to see Rex picking through an exposed section of wiring on the Normandy's hull "Hey do you mind?"

Rex looks up and says "Sorry old scavenging instincts kicking in; I couldn't help overhearing your little predicament if you would like, I can help with lodging your crew and supply you with resources to repair your ship"

"That would be appreciated" Shepard says "but you don't strike me as a man who would just help us out of the kindness of his heart"

"There's always a price especially in New Vegas, but considering you're ship could literally collapse any moment we can hammer out a price later" Rex says as the first of the Normandy's crew began streaming out into the Mojave sun.

"Commander I will lock down all sections of the sip after the last of the crew have been evacuated" EDI's monotone voice explained over the com.

"Thanks EDI" Shepard turns to look as the rest of the squad and crew exit the Normandy carrying boxes of supplies.

"So tell me would your prefer a room facing east or west?" Rex asks lighting a cigarette.

/

Rex sat behind his desk in the Lucky 38 listening carefully to fast talking creature in front of him. He, Veronica, Shepard, Mordin, Tali, and Kenneth Donnelly and Gabriella Daniels had spent the last hour discussing the situation at hand. Shepard at first was very cautious of revealing too much to Rex, but after Rex made it abundantly clear that he could supply the materials need to repair the Normandy she decided to tell him the basics of the situation.

"Device activation problematic caused tearing in quasi dimensional border between our world and this one" Mordin says as he paces across the room "Trans-dimensional travel stressed hull almost to breaking point"

"We'll need several tons of dozens of types of metal to repair the Normandy's hull and super structure; it would be easy to get these things in our universe, but it will be impossible here" Tali says looking over some read outs.

"actually don't write us of yet" Rex says standing up and walking over to the massive computer that once displayed Mr. houses' visage (now moved to the opposite wall) and pressing a few buttons. The computer screen came to life displaying a complicated set of code.

"Miss Vas Rayya do you happen to have the atomic structure of the alloys you need?" Rex asks as Tali opens up a display showing the atomic structure of the different elements. Rex's hands move swiftly across the keys rewriting code segment after code segment and then presses the enter key causing the code to blink out and be replaced by a diagram identical to Tali's. Rex inputs one more command and a small panel next to the massive computer screen rises upward revealing a small pad of electrodes. The electrodes begin to glow and in a flash of blue light a cube of silver materializes.

"Keelah, how did you do that?" Tali asks as she examines the matter materialization device.

"We possess hundreds of these devices back at Big MT., my research facility, thanks to pre-war technology we can produce the Alloys you need and manufacture them any way you need them" Rex explains looking rather pleased.

"Yes about that war, can you elaborate a little more on that?" Shepard asks as Mordin and Tali continue their examination of the device.

"Oh sure, it happened around two hundred and seventy six years ago in the year 2077; the Chinese and the United States fired Nuclear weapons at each other until the whole world burned" Rex explains.

"Wait then that makes the year 2283" Shepard says.

"Yeah isn't that the year in your universe" Rex replies.

"Problematic" Mordin says returning to his pacing "device not just a dimensional travel tool but a temporal tool as well"

"Just great first I'm stuck in another universe and now we throw time travel into the mix" Shepard says rubbing her temples "Okay, can you get us home Mordin?"

"Yes, probably, maybe will need time and proper lab" Mordin replies.

"I have a wonderful facility where you can study this device; after you agree to my terms" Rex says grabbing the cube from Tali "I want a complete blueprint of your ship and all of your equipment, samples of all your computers, and this Codex I've been hearing about"

"And if I refuse?" Shepard asks crossing her arms.

"Well rooms at the Tops aren't cheap and the Chairmen don't take kindly to those who don't pay their fees" Rex says holding out his hand. Rex and Shepard hold eye contact for several moments before she takes his hand and shakes it.

/

Several Hours later

At the end of the day rex made his way home. He lived in the former workshop of Michael Angelo, who soon after the battle for the hoover dam was killed by NCR soldiers as they attempted to fortify their section of the strip and hold it. They were forced out hours later and retreated with the rest of the NCR. Rex had moved in after turning part of the penthouse floor of Lucky 38 into his office and giving the rest of the space to Veronica and Christine. He had turned the space into a maze of parts and sketch books over the past two years and had built a small living area above it all where he kept his belongings and best prototypes.

Rex climbed the stairs and enter is living space, a large single room with a kitchenette in one corner, a shower in the other, an armor stand holding a heavily armored version of his current duster worn by an upgraded version of the MKII stealth armor, and a weapons rack containing his multitude of modded weaponry. The space in between was filled by his bed a few armchairs and stacks upon stacks of books, ammo cases, and assorted bits of machinery. Rex hung his duster and holster on the rack by the door and walked over to the kitchenette and took the top off of a pot of Brahmin stew that had been cooking all day. He ladled himself and bowl and went to sit on one of his mismatched chairs. Rex sat back and relaxed for the first time all day. First an assassination attempt and now aliens form another universe; he sometimes wondered why these things always happened to him. After wallowing in that thought for a few moments he pushed it out of his mind and began eating. After a while he relaxed and they came as they always did when his guard was down and he was tired.

They filled the room sitting on stacks of books or his bed; all the people Rex had killed over the years, the ones he cared to remember anyway. He recognized Caesar in the throng silently watching with Benny and the decrepit form of Mr. House at his side, but amongst the group one stood out; it was a young girl no older than fifteen with red hair, dead eyes, bare feet, a ragged sundress, and a bullet hole smoking in her forehead. Rex leaned forward and looked the girl in the eyes and for just a moment life returned to them and the apparition:

"Bye Bye Rexi"

And the apparitions dispursed without a word. Rex only bows his head and mutters:

"See you soon Rosy"

"Talking to ghosts again Courier six?"

Rex looks up to see Ulysses sitting in the chair opposite him.

"Hello Ulysses, I was wondering when you'd show up; would you like some stew?" Rex says getting up and pouring another bowl and refilling his own. He returns to his seat and hands the bowl to Ulysses before tossing him one of the many utensils lying around.

"Thank you, it would seem change is coming to the Mojave"

"So you heard about the crash, aliens form another universe I'm helping them in exchange for tech" Rex says as he eats "And before you go off on all the "Take care for we both know the consequences your decisions can make" I know what I'm doing"

"If you says so six" Ulysses replies coldly.

"So you got my message to come here and now I need to know what you know about the new legion" Rex says placing his bowl aside.

Ulysses finishes his stew before replying "There are rumblings from the east that someone has risen to reunite the shattered fragments of the bull's armies and take back the land the Midwest brotherhood of steel took in the confusion after Caesar's defeat"

"Any idea who it is?"

"A man calling himself Octavian has risen to the throne" Ulysses answers.

"You have got to be shitting me" Rex says chuckling "Is there any originality with these guys seriously, he takes the name of Caesar's adoptive son"

"I came only to inform you of this threat do not take it lightly courier six, because this Octavius remembers you and has his eyes set on the Mojave" Ulysses says standing up. Rex stands up as well and grabs the bowls and takes them to the sink.

"Ulysses, there may come a time when I need what's in the Divide, and the question becomes will you allow it?" Rex says turning around to see a gun barrel pointed at his face.

"The day you return to the divide is the day we finish what we started, especially if you intend to unleash the fury of the old world again" Ulysses knocks the hanging light casting shadow across the room and when the bulb swings back he's gone.

Rex lights a cigarette and leans against his stove turning the stew off. His mind is no longer still, and his personal ghost would not return again tonight. Rex looks over at his bed and feels the days trials all over again sending a wave of fatigue through him. He walks over to his bed and falls into its softness and is enveloped in sleep.


	5. Feints within a Feint

Rex wakes up a few hours later and sits up in his bed. He grabs the half smoked cigarette from the ash tray to his right and lights it with small lighter in his mechanical hand. After fishing his pip boy from the mess of clothing at his bed side Rex stands up and walks across the room where a small safe sits buried under several thick books. He spins the dial and the safe pops open with a hiss as the pneumatic mechanisms released. Rex grabs a small roll of leather and unrolls it on his bed. The leather parcel is filled with a neat row of syringes each containing a dose of a different medicine or chem. He takes one syringe filled with a deep red liquid and a syringe of med-X before injecting the med-X into his neck and injecting the other syringe into the area around his mechanical arm. Pain spread through his body emanating from his left shoulder as he tenses letting the pain flow as he attempts to maintain calm deep breaths. Soon the pain passes and he rolls the leather syringe kit back up and stows it in his duster, still hanging on the hook by the door.

After washing up and getting dressed Rex leaves his home and walks out into the now shining strip as the Ultra-Luxe and the Tops now have their lights on attracting the many patrons now roaming the strip. He walked past the big casinos and the lucky 38 to the Freeside section of the city. Rex prided himself in seeing many people walking the strip, he had worked with the kings to make Freeside just a nice as the strip even going as far as demolishing the gates between the two sections of New Vegas. Connecting the two halves of New Vegas had been harder than anticipated considering the stigma created between those who operated within the inner strip and all those who lived in Freeside. After the construction bots cleared most of the rubble and repaired the roads and buildings people had a new respect for the area and attempted to force Freeside's residents away and set up shop in the newly refurbished area and when they did the Kings almost went to war with the remnants of the Omertas and the influx of people trying to move into the capitol. Rex and the Kings struck a deal; He would provide extra security for the people of Freeside and help them find jobs if the kings "encouraged" the many chem addicts to attend rehab at the new hospital built just to the south of New Vegas. So far it had worked wonderfully, Freeside's crime and chem addiction was down and the varieties of businesses new and old were flourishing.

Rex began walking down the strip as he usually did when he couldn't sleep watching the variety of people as they walked passed enjoying the lights and sounds of the strip. Soon he made it into Freeside and entered the Atomic Wrangler where he saw several of the Normandy's crew drinking, gambling, and generally enjoying themselves. He saw the scarred merc sitting at the bar drinking straight from a bottle of rum, the bald tattooed woman angrily yelling at a slot machine, and the hulking turtle creature was arm wrestling a super mutant on the stage. Rex had allocated each crew member five hundred caps from the high roller budget so they could enjoy New Vegas, and hopefully keep them on the strip. James Garret sat behind the bar wiping up spilled alcohol generally looking shifty.

"What's been going on with our new arrivals?" Rex asked walking over to the bar.

"A part from a strange look or two they fit right in"

"Thanks" Rex says before taking a small leather sack from his duster "Make sure the people know that there's nothing to worry about with our special guests".

James opens the sack and stows it under the bar before nodding and pouring Rex a glass of scotch "Of course chief; here's a drink on the house". Rex waves the drink away and lights a cigarette before walking over to the cashier's cage and changes out three hundred caps for chips and sat down at one of the black jack tables. As the dealer dealt he examined the tattooed woman as she angrily yelled at a slot machine. Bald woman weren't exactly rare in the wasteland considering the heat and various parasites like lice; what he found interesting was her multiple tattoos. Tattoos from the wastes tended to be crudely done or asymmetrical; these on the other hand were well done. They covered her mostly exposed upper body with an intricate mosaic that Rex found Interesting.

Rex watched as the woman clinch her fists and punch the machine as if she expected it to beak with a single punch. A harsh CLUNK rings out as her fist collides with the machine and she recoils in obvious pain for a moment before regaining her composure. Rex laughs audibly at the spectacle causing the woman to look toward him with a look of intense anger in her eyes before stomping across the room to where he sat.

"You find something funny fuckwad" The woman says slamming her uninjured hand onto the table sending the cards and chips flying.

"Yes I find it amusing when people try to punch solid metal" Rex says blowing a puff of smoke into the woman's face unimpressed by her tough façade. In response she grabs Rex by the collar and pulls him out of his seat and with her face inches form his she asks in a more of a growl than actual words:

"You lookin to get the shit kicked out of you carrot top?"

Rex scowls before grabbing the woman's arm with his mechanical one and twists causing her to release her hold before he flings the woman backwards. She yells out and rushes again only to meet the barrel of Rex's gun; she straightens up and laughs.

"Well what the fuck are ya gonna doe now big boy, shoot me?"

"No, I was thinking of buying you a drink" Rex says putting the gun away before gesturing to a server "Get the lady whatever she's drinking" . The server looks to the woman who throws an empty bottle of vodka over to her before turning back to Rex.

"First you point a fucking gun at me and now you wanna buy me a drink if you wanted to fuck me you should have just asked" The woman says laughing harshly looking Rex up and down "I might have let you after you picked your teeth up off the floor"

"I assure you my intentions are entirely pure" Rex says as his cigarette depletes and he takes another from the pack in his breast pocket. He lights one before offering one to the woman which she took and lit with a small lighter obviously taken from one the wrangler's servers as it bore the Wranglers logo. The server returns and the woman snatched the bottle from the woman before popping the cap of with her finger and takes a swig.

"Alright then thanks for the booze" The woman says placing the bottle on the table and sitting down before placing her own chips on the table. Rex collects his scattered chips and hands to them to a random gambler before leaving the gambling area to find Veronica entering the building with ED-E floating behind her. Rex walks over to the pair and says:

"I thought you hated the night life, Veronica"

"Not here for the gambling; we have a situation" Veronica replies as she hands a scorched piece of paper.

Rex examines the paper for a moment before recognition crosses his face.

"Where was this found?"

"It was found in the tunnels on the outskirts of the city; one of the patrols found it amongst other burnt other documents" She replies "What do you want to do?"

"Call the ambassador and get him here ASAP" Rex says as he leaves the old casino with Veronica and ED-E close behind.

/

Rex sat at his desk sending trails of smoke floating to the ceiling. The charred document sat on his desk alongside fragments of other documents recovered in the tunnels. He looked over the documents checking to make sure that he was correct. Unfortunately he was.

The NCR maintained an Embassy beyond the Mojave Outpost along with a small garrison of soldiers. After trade resumed between the two nations Rex had been abundantly clear that no NCR soldiers could enter the Mojave unless they were on leave or escorting diplomats. Ambassador Crocker was fired soon after the Hoover dam and the Mojave were lost and he was replaced by a man named William Renly who was appointed by the NCR's president personally. He was a corporal who served on the Dam who earned honors for fighting off the Legion before Rex forced the NCR to retreat. He had been a tough negotiator for the NCR combining tactical instinct with a silver tongue.

Soon Renly was escorted in by Veronica and the tall man took a seat in front of Rex before saying:

"You know I love these late night diplomatic calls but couldn't this have waited until morning Mr. Craster"

"Unfortunately tis matter couldn't" Rex says standing up and tossing one of the paper scraps to the diplomat. He walks over to a cabinet net to his desk and unlocks the largest drawer and drawing out a small camera like object. He placed the object on his desk and sat down again watching Renly examine the paper with a stern poker face, as he did Renly eyes would flick between the large scrap in his hand to the others on the desk and then to the device before returning to the paper scrap.

"You know what that is don't you?" Rex asks tapping buttons on the device "That is a fragment of a common NCR intel packet with scout notes and movement all over it dating back a few weeks. We found these documents in the tunnels under the city that a legion attack squad used to breach the strip and make an attempt at my life"

"I hadn't heard, but I will make it my priority to discover where this leak of information came from in a quick and efficient manner to help bring this mole to justice" Renly says placing the paper back on Rex's desk and standing up "If that's all then I really should get back to the embassy"

"Sit the fuck down" Rex says with a hint of barely restrained animosity "You're going to tell me why you gave legionaries Intel about the tunnel system beneath New Vegas or you won't be walking out of here alive".

"How dare you, I am an ambassador for the NCR and I don't have to take your accusations or your threats" He turns to leave before Rex flicks a fragment of paper onto his shoulder. Renly takes the paper and the color drains from his face. The paper fragment bore the NCR's diplomatic seal with his insignia underneath "You know I told those legion idiots to burn those documents thoroughly"

He turns and looks Rex in the eye before saying "I will not tell you anything even if you torture me"

"I don't believe in torture personally; if a man's in pain his perception is altered and really at the end of the day they're just gonna tell you what you want to hear" Rex says putting on a thick pair of sunglasses and pressing a button on the device sending a bright flash of green light at Renly "I prefer using this little wonder machine here; you see my friend that flash you just saw was actually a hypnotic suggestion mixed in with some harmless radiation"

Renly stiffens as a green haze fogs his eyes and he stiffens as Veronica re-enters the room with ED-E following behind her. Rex stands taking the glasses off and walking over to ED-E

"ED-E buddy, begin the records keeper subroutine please" Rex says taking a pair of reading glasses from Veronica and putting them on Renly "that should help with the vision distortion; now sit down"

Renly stiffly sits back down.

"Now I'm going to ask a few questions and you're going to answer me to the best of your knowledge" Rex says sitting down behind his desk lighting another cigarette "Let's start with who ordered you to give the Intel to the legion?"

Renly visibly struggles to stop the words from leaving his lips but after a moment he speaks "General Voorhees"

"Who is General Voorhees?"

"The greatest man I know, a better man than you" Renly says shaking violently "He's the only one who will do what needs to be done to better the NCR"

"Great more fanaticism" Rex says lighting a cigarette "What makes this man so special?"

"The general has always stood for the NCR even when the damn softies stationed him on the northern front" Renly replies "If he had been in command two years ago both the legion and your dirty, barely better than a tribal, ass would be in chains serving your betters you fu…." Before Renly could finish his sentence Rex's fist collides with his face knocking him to the ground.

"Stand up" Rex orders taking a long drag from the cigarette as Renly stands and faces him "Now are there any other plans on my life or that would cause any trouble in the Mojave?"

"No but once he learns the attack was a failure the general will have to respond" Renly replies as blood flows from his nose.

"Good, now lie down on your side in front of my desk" Rex orders pouring a glass of water on the tile for before smearing it with his foot; The ambassador does as he is told and glares up at Rex before Rex grabs the device from the table and turns a dial on the side before placing the glasses on again and pressing the trigger. A flash of blue emits from the device and sends a shock wave through Renly before he goes stiff. Rex takes the glasses off and places the device in his desk before crouching down and snapping his fingers in Renly's face and says:

"Ambassador I'm so sorry my assistant spilled water in here just before you arrived"

Renly snaps out of his daze as Rex helps him up "Um yes, thank you". Rex hands him a handkerchief and gestures to Veronica to lead him out.

Veronica supports the ambassador while apologizing profusely before handing him off to a soldier in the elevator.

"Make sure the ambassador gets back to his own people after you clean him up"

"Yes ma'am" the soldier replies supporting the shaken ambassador.

"Thank you Miss Santangelo, Mr. Craster should get back to me about whatever was so urgent" Renly says straightening slightly before going green and slouching again.

"Of course I'll have someone get back to you as soon as possible" Veronica replies with a warm smile as the doors close. She scowls for a moment before returning to Rex's office where Rex sat at his desk staring at an open wooden box with a single syringe of bright blue liquid. Rex nervously flicks a pen between his metal fingers as he stares at the syringe his right arm nervously twitching. His sleeve now rolled up revealing faded track marks that dotted his arm.

"You know that stuff doesn't go well with your anti-rejection drugs" Veronica says knowing what Rex is thinking "besides you swore off that stuff years ago"

"I know what it does; that's why I'm thinking about taking it again" He replies staring for just a moment longer before placing the lid back on the box before placing it in a small safe bolted into the bottom shelf on his desk.

"Thank you, you don't need that stuff you're more than capable of handling anything the legion or this General Voorhees can throw at you, and besides you've got us right?" Veronica says smiling reassuringly. Rex had never used that drug as long as she had known him, but he carried a dose with him to remind himself of what it made him into and from what he had told her it wasn't pretty.

"Yeah for better or worse we're in this together" Rex says lighting a cigarette as the sun rises behind him "Veronica, get every agent we have in the NCR to look into the general and his followers and get a contact to our new friends to the east make sure they can keep the territory they took from the legion and this Octavian asshole. Remember when all we had to worry about were radroaches and the occasional deathclaw?"

"Those were the days" Veronica says queuing commands Rex's massive super computer as she does an audio file activates.

"Come gather 'round people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters

Around you have grown"

"What's this?" Veronica asks raising an eyebrow.

"One of the files that Shepard woman gave us; I kind of like it" Rex replies sitting back letting the music play as he withdraws his pistol and begins to take it apart for its daily cleaning.

"And accept it that soon

You'll be drenched to the bone

If your time to you

Is worth savin'"

"I like it sounds familiar" veronica says relaying the commands into the computer's communications array "Who's the artist?"

"Some guy named Bob Dylan, apparently in our universe he was never popular" Rex replies as he tenderly handles each piece of the gun, and looks at his pistol's twin hanging on the wall bent by an explosion at the battle for the dam. The music played on as the sun rose over the Mojave and Rex not for the first time that day felt the phantom sting of a needle in his arm and the rush that came with it. Pushing that out of his mind he placed his concentration on the task at hand cleaning quickly and efficiently. Whatever the coming days held for the Mojave he would stand and face it with his friends and perhaps the crew of the Normandy if they could be used correctly.

"Then you better start swimmin'

Or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin'"

No matter how things changed he would weather on like he always did, and Rex would rather die than let the Legion or the NCR take the Mojave from him or its people.

I do not own "Times they are a changin" by Bob Dylan (though I wish I did)


	6. Guns at a discount prices

The next morning Shepard sat drinking a steaming cup of tea in her suite reading a data pad detailing the special cargo taken from the Normandy deemed too valuable to be locked up in the warehouse Rex provided. Most of the special cargo was locked behind the tops presidential suite's biggest room guarded in shifts by the Normandy's security personnel, but one crate sat before her on the table. The crate was solid black with the Cerberus logo engraved across the lid. Shepard opened the crate letting the lid slide off onto the tabletop and found a small white cube about the size of a Rubik's cube inlayed with a glowing blue circuit pattern and six small hexagonal white crystal disks with Small Square of black metal in the center each slightly smaller than one sided of the cube.

The Cube was a prototype quantum computer, a miniaturized version of the EDI's "blue box" capable of storing a working A.I with space to spare while the disks acted as hard drives that could store up to a zeta byte of data each. Shepard had gotten her hands on the computer after the research facility developing it had been attacked by a Geth platoon that was thankfully shut down by her destruction of the Geth heretics, but not in time to save the scientists there. When the research station's distress signal was finally answered Shepard found a tomb of synthetics and organics alike with the prototype locked away behind a bulk head guarded by the emaciated corpses of the former crew and scattered remains of deactivated Geth platforms.

Rex seemed particularly interested in computation technology and had bargained for several small computers as well as schematics of the ancient (in technology years) microchips used in the 21ist century EDI had in her memory banks and textbooks on historical programming and modern system maintenance. She decided to keep this device close at hand just in case she needed another bargaining chip with Rex; Shepard was wary of Rex not that she was frightened of him but she felt that Rex wasn't exactly someone you could let your guard down around. He seemed chummy enough almost sincere in his concern for the Normandy and her crew during the negotiations remaining mostly silent as she explained their situation, but Shepard sensed something under the concern a cool calculating mind taking in all the new information.

His demands while straight forward and very simple made Shepard uneasy; it was against everything she had been taught in the Alliance. She thought of the Salarians uplifting the Krogan from the nuclear remains of Tuchanka and all the chaos that caused, but this was different wasn't. Shepard shook her head dispelling the thought; they would be out of this universe soon anyway and whatever happened here had no impact. The reapers were coming and she needed to get back before they arrived; whatever it cost to get back she would gladly pay it.

There's a knocking at the door and Shepard hears Jack's voice loudly yelling "Hey let us in Girl Scout we got your damn Intel". Shepard closes the crate and stows it in an armored container and opens the door to the room. Jack stands outside sporting a pair of sunglasses and rubbing her temples while Kasumi, Jacob, and Miranda stand beside her obviously enjoying Jack's hung over state. Shepard gestures for them to come in and asks:

"So what have you got for me?"

"Well I talked to a few of the locals about Rex, apparently the guy hasn't been in charge long, only about two years, but in that time he's done a lot of good" " Kasumi says handing Shepard a data drive containing her report "Most of the locals think he's some kind of mythical hero straight out of the old west, and if any of the stories about this guy are true I suggest we be very cautious in our dealings with him, I mean you don't take over this much land and topple two armies and a dictator by being nice".

Miranda and Jacob detailed the Mojave's perceived military strength "The soldiers are equipped with standard semi-automatic weapons and grenades from the looks of them" Jacobs begins "But those are just the normal soldiers; those mechs are armed to the teeth we saw them blow a few street thugs down the block with a some kind of modified rocket launcher firing concussive round after they tried to rob a truck. They didn't harm them but knocked them out long enough for some soldiers to pick them up off the street"

"It seems there is a form of court system in this back water universe" Miranda says pouting "Anyway Shepard we were followed all night by what I assume was Rex's men. We would be prudent to be cautious here"

"Yeah no kidding" Shepard says turning to Jack "Anything to report?"

"Yeah the booze in this town is strong; probably brewed by some Hill Billy fuck" Jack says rubbing her temples "Oh and I talked with that Rex guy last night seemed ok didn't come on to me or ogle just bought me a bottle of booze"

"It seems you have an admirer Jack" Miranda says smirking.

"Fuck you cheer leader I don't need you shit talk right now"

"You know it wouldn't hurt to get to know Rex if he is interested in you" Jacob says scooting away from Jack slightly.

"Did I ask you?" Jack responds leaning back and turning to Shepard "He wasn't too bad maybe I will give him a spin; you keep telling me I should be more social"

Shepard looks at her for a moment and sighs "aright then I want all of you prepping the Normandy for transport to the repair facility". She stands and shoos them out of the room ignoring Jack's groans.

Shepard left the suite and walked down the lightly crowded street to the Lucky 38 where two Securitrons guarded the door as men and women wearing the red and black uniforms of the Mojave government filed in and out of the building. When she reached the door the securitrons eyed her for a moment before letting her past.

The Lucky 38's interior had been stripped and rebuilt to be a massive lobby/ office space. Workers hastily darted around the room carrying parcels and stacks of paper while others sat at computer terminals entering and checking information. An older black haired woman sat at a reception desk at the bottom of the steps to the elevator at the center of the room. Shepard approached the desk and said:

"Excuse me I need to speak to Mr. Craster"

The woman looked up and squinted for a moment before saying "Mr. Craster isn't taking appointments today"

"I think He'll make an exception for me tell him Shepard would like to see him"

"I have specific orders not to allow anyone to disturb him"

"Listen here…" Shepard begins before someone interrupts her.

"It's fine Judith; I'll take her to see him" Veronica says coming from behind Shepard "Follow me please"

Shepard follows Veronica into the elevator where Veronica shuts the door leaving the two of them alone as the elevator begins to move.

Veronica turns to Shepard and asks "So what's space like?"

Shepard laughs, she noticed Veronica eying the Normandy yesterday, but instead of cold calculation like she saw in Rex's eyes she saw a hint of wonder in Veronica's.

"Big and beautiful"

"Cool" she says before the elevator stops and the doors open. Shepard walks into the office to fin Rex behind his desk with a pair of reading glasses across his bony face as he reads and signs various documents.

"Good morning Ms. Shepard, I trust the Ultra Luxe is to your liking" he says not looking up from the papers. A cigarette sits on his lips forgotten and almost depleted as his gun rests on a piece of cloth freshly cleaned and sparkling about an inch from his right hand.

"Yes thank you for the accommodations, I'm just stopping by to see when the Normandy will be transported to your repair facility" Shepard says taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Tomorrow at the latest" Rex says looking up at Shepard as he neatly places the stack of papers in a bin marked out "So how is your crew settling in?"

"They're getting situated just fine" Shepard says smiling "your people don't seem too surprised by us"

Rex chuckles to himself letting his aloof expression slip away before saying "Ms. Shepard half of the people on the strip down there could tell tales about the wastes that make aliens seem like an everyday occurrence"

"I've gathered that" She says leaning back away from the smoke cloud floating over Rex's desk.

"So would you like some weapons or do you just want to continue this delightful small talk?" Rex says his smile slipping away and the aloof expression returning.

"What do you mean? Our weapons are just fine" Shepard says sitting upright; her eyes locked to Rex's.

"We both know your weapons don't work" Rex says tossing away his depleted cigarette before taking a fresh one from a drawer "I've been reading through that codex of yours; I found the entry on modern weaponry fascinating, must be a shame having most of your tech based off of one type of science that's not trans-universal."

"Why would you want a potential hostile group armed in your home town?" Shepard asks suspicious.

"Well to be perfectly honest I have a personal stake in the local arms trade so I would be lying if said I wouldn't directly benefit from this deal" Rex says blowing smoke at the ceiling "Also if you or any of your crew plan to leave my fair city to explore the Mojave during your stay it would be prudent to carry a weapon"

"Trouble controlling your populace?"

Rex unamused replies "The people pf the Mojave are very independent and love there assorted guns, explosives, and home brews to a fault; that coupled with a few random gangs of fiends and thugs make traveling the Mojave's back roads…..interesting"

"Oh what would life be like without random thugs eh" Shepard says seeing the smile flash across Rex's face.

"Yeah life would be boring without something to shoot" Rex says leaning back in his chair taking a drag from his cigarette his thoughts going back to the night before and the exchange with the tattooed woman; Time to Bate the lure just a little Rex thought before saying "in any case I'd rest easier knowing you and your crew are properly equipped to enjoy your stay; oh and do say hello to a member of your crew for me the woman with all the tattoos if you would we talked a little last night and I bought her a drink"

"How kind of you, and I will give Jack the message but don't get your hopes up she's a bit of a hard ass" Shepard says as he walks her to the elevator.

"Of course" Rex says showing her out the door and into the hall before he shut the door behind her with a dry farewell.

Veronica was standing outside with a clip board in one arm and a load of wrapped parcels in the other. Shepard made to help her as several of the parcels fell onto the ground. She picked them up and asked:

"Need some help?"

Veronica turned to Shepard and said "Thanks that would be a lot of help" She led Shepard through the door opposite Rex's office into a cluttered penthouse adorned with workbenches and computers. Veronica led Shepard through the see of spare parts and tools into a large kitchen area where a woman with short cut hair was chopping carrots.

"There you are Veronica I swear if Rex made you late for lunch again I'll put him into a coma again" She says turning to see Shepard behind Veronica "Oh we have company; you must be Shepard"

"Yes ma'am, I was just helping Veronica with these packages" Shepard says placing them on a counter.

The woman puts her hand out and says "Christine Santangelo, it's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Shepard"

"Thank you it's always nice to see a friendly face" Shepard says smiling warmly.

"Oh don't let Rex get to you; I promise under all that calculation and suspicion is a heart as soft as pudding" Veronica says before her eyes light up as an idea comes to her "Shepard you have to stay for lunch and tell us all about you universe and we can tell you all you need to know to handle Rex."

Shepard begins to speak when her stomach growls loudly.

"Well that settles it; I hope you like Brahmin stew" Christine says smiling.


	7. Be wary of the Newsmen

Rex sat behind his desk completely absorbed in text manuals and diagrams from the Normandy's databanks. It would take years to integrate the new technology into the wasteland's daily life, but Rex already had a few ideas where the new tech could be immediately integrated. He smiles genuinely for the first time in a while and leans back in his chair exchanging his depleted cigarette for a new one from the small pack in his desk and flicks his left thumb open revealing a small lighter and goes to light the cigarette. Just before the flame touches the cigarette he pulls back and looks over at the stack of completed paper work and the identical stack of notes and schematics he had drawn up this morning and closes the lighter.

"Fuck it, I've been good lately" He says standing up and walking over to the wall to the left of his desk and places is hand on an almost invisible square in the white wall causing it to slide upward to reveal a large room filled with various weapons, armor, and various racks of different sized containers.

Rex walks into the room and withdraws a small red box from the various racks and carries it back to his desk. The wall closes with a "swoosh" behind him and he places the box on the desk top and sits down. He opens the box and withdraws a stack of fine paper and a tin marked "good stuff"; he carefully opens the tin and the smell of fine tobacco mixed with a citrus smell wafts out. Rex takes a small bundle and places it within one of the sheets of paper and rolls it into a cigarette and lights it.

He inhales deeply saving the taste of the fine tobacco as he leans back in his chair. Thanks to the biological research station in the sink Rex was able to breed a super fine variant of tobacco that blew every other variety available away; even the pre-war cigarettes generated through the Sierra Madre vending machines. He had tried to use the matter replicators to reproduce this tobacco in a larger scale than the small garden in the sink, but the result tasted horrible and he abandoned the effort after a few tries.

He continued smoking as he clicked through the diagrams and codex pages aimlessly absorbing information as he went. Ever since he was a kid Rex had been able to absorb and retain information; this came in handy when he went salvaging as a kid with his father. He could still vaguely remember combos and codes of safes and various old computers that lay forgotten and pilfered in the ruins of the old world surrounding the ruins of a small town called Dust.

Thinking about his old life before his fourteenth birthday made Rex nostalgic and he grabbed a small leather pouch from his duster pocket. The pouch was made of old tanned leather marked with cracks and a large red R stitched to the back of it. Rex unclasped the flap and withdrew a folded piece of cloth, and stared at the stainless steel instruments stored in the small slots as he smoked. He took each instrument out and thumbed them in his hands examining each tool intently, even though he had used them thousands of times to open a countless number of locks and safes.

Rex returned the tools to their slots and then placed the cloth in the pouch before returning it to his duster's pocket. He got up and put the rest of the tobacco in a small pouch and along with the rolling paper places them both into another of his duster's numerous pockets before putting on his duster and gun belt before leaving his office and heading over to the elevator. Rex rides the elevator down to the Lobby and leaves the Lucky 38 walking out onto the strip already bustling with people and street vendors. Lunch time was rush hour for the various food carts that usually occupied the edges of the strip, but now they line the streets feeding farmers, police, office workers, and tourists.

Rex turns to the north and walks through the streets off the main strip to the New Vegas Medical Center. It had been expanded and the finest doctors of the wastes practiced there. He walked through the door and the smell of antiseptic and fresh linens fill his nostrils. The almost too bright electric lights burn on the ceiling illuminating the white tile floor and the green furniture rests bolted to the white washed walls. As he walked through the lobby he noticed the large crowd waiting in the minor emergency section of the center; more and more cases came through the center thanks to the growing population.

"Another thing I have to worry about" Rex says under his breath as he walks up to the receptionists desk. A young looking man with a shaved head and a large facial tattoo sat at the desk tapping away at a computer terminal; He didn't look at Rex but said:

"We'll be with you in a moment sir"

Rex laced his metal left hand on the edge of the desk, just in the man's field of vision "I have an appointment".

The man looked up and with a look of shock begins to stammer "Certainly, sorry about that sir I'll tell the techs you're here". The man practically trips as he hurries away to fetch the doctor. Rex leans against the receptionist's desk smiling softly.

Even after two years of practically mythic status amongst the waste landers Rex still hadn't gotten used to how most act around him. Those who had never actually met him either reacted in awe or fear, but after interacting with him on a regular bases the glamour of his legend slipped away and all that was left was a scrawny gunslinger. Some even went so far as to doubt his actions at the battle of Hoover Dam; this was often met with a bullet swishing by their ears followed by several others shredding the naysayer's clothing without so much as leaving a scratch. This led to a rather large wall repair budget set aside every month at the treasury meetings, and Rex paid into it mostly with the money from his weapon business at Veronica's request.

Soon a nurse calls his name and he follows her back to one of the many examination rooms. The interior was sparse; an auto doc sat in a corner while the other was taken up by a couple of chairs, an examination table, and a small table of instruments and supplies. This was his personal auto doc designed to calibrate his robotic arm and keep his other artificial organs in top shape; he kept it here because it allowed him an excuse to leave the main strip alone and unbothered by his soldiers or companions. Rex took his duster and shirt off before opening the auto doc, and he stepped in letting the doors shut behind him.

As darkness enclosed around him he slowed his breathing and braced as the robotic arms of the auto doc began the process of examining his body; the robotic arms fidgeted with his own robotic arm and illuminated the small space as a small torch lit and the multitude of tools began calibrating his arm. The other arms went to work on his body delivering medical treatments designed to keep his bodily functions working at top shape; this was very important considering his lungs, spine, heart, and brain were artificial and required near constant maintenance.

The treatment ended after about thirty minutes and Rex left the medical center and walked down the strip rubbing his muscles as he went. He leans against the eastern wall of the monorail station and rolls another cigarette and lights it sending trails of smoke out of his mouth and nostrils. His work was done for the day, and the legion investigation was turning up nothing just yet so he had some time on his hands.

As he pondered his options Rex saw some of the Normandy's crew walking down the street. He recognized Jack almost immediately along with the odd couple of Jacob and Miranda following behind. His tails had been following them the last few days and one of them walked forward past the group and sat at a bench beside Rex; then he opened a newspaper and pretended to read as Rex stood beside the bench smoking.

"So what have our friends been up to?" Rex asks not turning to the tail.

"They've visited their commander at the Ultra Luxe this morning before that they were gathering info about you, the Securitrons, and the surrounding area" The tail says not looking away from his paper "The bald one seems to be hungover".

"Seems she not such a bad ass after all" Rex thought as he inhaled deeply depleting the cigarette before stepping forward and tossing shiny disc about the size of a fifty cent piece to the tail and began walking forward.

The tail looks at the disc for a moment and grins breaking his relaxed act. Rex had just handed him what amounted to a hundred dollar bill in the Mojave; one of the many coins recently put into circulation around the Mojave. This one bore a pair of ten millimeter hand guns on one side and three solid bars on the other.

Rex walked through the relatively large crowd to the small group and raised his hand in greeting plastering his business smile on his face. The group noticed him and they stopped; the prissy one crossed her arms and was staring at Rex intently as if he was some kind of road block. Rex's presence couldn't be considered intimidating really; even after two years of intense exercise and hand to hand training with Veronica, Rex still gave the impression of a skinny drifter but when he wanted to he could ooze charisma or malice.

"Something on my face?" Rex asks still holding his businessman's grin firm.

"No the cheerleader is just pissed she can't boss anyone around on shore leave" the tattooed woman says smirking.

"I can speak for myself Jack if you don't mind" Miranda says turning momentarily from Rex to Jack before turning back again "If you don't mind Mr. Craster we have urgent business to attend to".

Rex considered tis a moment and says "Well whatever business you have to attend to can wait you all look hungry and as your host it's only right if you let me treat you four to lunch" Rex says lighting another cigarette as the trio bore a look of confusion; Rex had noticed the slight distortion behind the trio and could just barely make out the silhouette of a woman "You can de-cloak now".

Kasumi's cloak falls away and she appears directly behind the trio with a bemused look on her face "Well this is embarrassing".

"Don't feel too bad I've been dodging cloaked assassins for years" Rex says looking to the trio once more "So who's up for some lunch I know the owner of the restaurant in town"

Miranda smirks a little and says "Oh thank you for the offer but we really have to get back to the Normandy to see to the preparations, but Jack here would be delighted to have lunch with you".

Jack shoots her a glare and says "Well if the cheerleader objects I might as well get some grub" and she turns to Kasumi who is smirking devilishly "You coming Goto?"

"No sorry but Shepard has me running a few errands this afternoon so I can't" Kasumi says before cloaking again in a much simpler manner than her usual way.

"She's using a stealth boy" Rex thought and smiled; that meant she had either stolen or bought one. It seemed Miss Goto had travelled much farther than any of her crew mates, because the only place that sold and stored the Mojave's custom stealth boys was the Mojave Arms Depot. Rex's shop in Primm run by the old some of the old remnants that decided to stay in the Mojave after the second battle of Hoover Dam.

"Shall we?" Rex says turning to Jack who looked at him with an expression somewhere between curiosity and annoyance.

"Whatever, food better not taste like ass" Jack says as she followed Rex through the crowds of people out into the small shopping district adjacent to the main strip. The small square the district occupied was crowded due to the lunch rush at the several restaurants with people milling in and out carrying piping hot food and cool beverages. Rex whistled as he walked noticing Jack glancing around the street then at him and then at the street again.

"Expecting me to turn and yell boo?" Rex asks looking over his shoulder.

"Just staying alert carrot top" Jack replies with a glare.

Rex chuckled and continued walking down the street to a small restaurant nestled between two a gun store and a clothing boutique. The interior was dimly lit and smelled of spices and roasting meat with small tables set up across one wall in a row that stretched to the back of the restaurant with a counter running up the parallel side behind that was the kitchen. It wasn't crowded even though it should have been the lunch rush with only a few patrons eating at the small tables or drinking coffee at the counter.

Rex guided Jack through the tables to one near the center of the room and pulled a chair out for her before taking a seat himself that faced the entrance of the restaurant.

As they waited for their waitress Rex rolled a cigarette and lit it with his finger lighter and leans back before looking towards Jack "So Jack how are you liking your stay in New Vegas?."

"Not the worst shithole I've ever been stuck in" Jack says with a mocking tone "No one's tried to blow my head off just yet so that's a plus"

"Well we're still growing so the shithole feel won't be gone for some time" Rex says taking a long drag of the cigarette "but I wouldn't get too comfortable even in peaceful times the Mojave's still very dangerous"

"I think I'll do just fine I can handle some scorpions or mutants" Jack says smiling a vicious smile.

"I believe it" Rex says before changing the subject "So Jack tell me about you"

"Why do you want to know about me?" Jack says standoffishly.

"Well you're a woman from another universe of space faring civilizations of course I'm curious" Rex answers "and I find you interesting to say the least"

"You only talked to me once" Jack says leaning back "And bought me a drink; thanks again for that by the way"

"Your welcome"

"SO what do you want to know?" Jack asks a look of minor annoyance on her face "just don't expect me to tell you my life story and fall crying into your arms."

"Wouldn't dream of it" Rex says rolling two more cigarettes and passing one to Jack "So where'd you get the Tats"


	8. The rage deep inside

"… Then we saw Rex running down the street buck naked with about ten Great Thugs chasing him down the street" Veronica exclaims giggling uncontrollably.

"Wow" Shepard says finishing her bowl of stew "how the hell did he get out of that one?"

"Luckily the Thug captain's girl he was screwing managed to throw him his guns in time and he managed to hold them off until Veronica and ED-E could get out to help him" Christine says grabbing the dishes and carrying them over to the sink "I can only imagine Rex gunning down Thugs in the buff "

"Trust me it was hilarious; his skinny butt shining in the moonlight" Veronica says going into a laughing fit.

Catherine chuckles as she returned to the table "If he ever gives you shit just mention this story and that will shut him up".

"It seems like our universes aren't that different after all" Shepard says thinking of her own childhood "I grew up on a spaceship flying from one Alliance base to another, and we had to deal with roving packs of mercs and pirates"

"I guess so, but it must have been amazing getting to travel across the galaxy like that" Veronica says getting that misty look in her eyes she brandished on the elevator.

"Not really, it was cramped and stank of recycled air" Shepard replied remembering the tight quarters of her childhood "Mom and Dad always tried to make sure I was comfortable though, but they had their careers to think of and I made it work until I was eighteen and joined the Alliance military".

"Followed your parent's footsteps huh we can understand that" Veronica says "we both grew up in the Brotherhood of Steel and then became scribes."

"That's one of the old factions that formed after the Great War, right?" Shepard asked she had read some of the materials Rex had provided on the area the night before "The guide book is really extensive about but doesn't have anything to about the Mojave branch recently"

"There's a reason for that" Catherine says bowing her head slightly "The Mojave Brotherhood doesn't exist anymore."

Shepard noticed the look and changed the subject and changed the subject "So Rex was talking about arming the Normandy's crew do you two mind showing me where I can stock up."

They brightened at that and Veronica says slipping her power fist on and making for the door "Oh yeah Rex asked me to show you the stock at the Depot; I can take you there right now if you'd like"

"Thanks I feel almost naked without a weapon "Shepard said getting up from the table and follows for a moment before turning to Christine "Thank you for the food"

"Oh don't mention it, and just a word of advice" Christine said as she wiped her hands off "Don't be so tense around Rex like we said he's not as shady as you think".

Shepard nods and follows Veronica out of the room to the elevator and when the doors close Veronica turns to Shepard and says "Thank you for not ogling the scars".

"Don't mention it" Shepard replies in truth she barely noticed them "I barely noticed, in my line of work scars are a dime a dozen I stopped noticing them years ago."

"Thanks, she's been through enough as it is, but the moment they see her face people stare" Veronica says visibly angry "Wastelanders see crazy things everyday but the moment a chick gets a few scars on her face she's some kind of freak."

"I guess that's another thing our universes have in common" Shepard says shaking her head "idiots".

Veronica smiles at that and the doors open. She leads Shepard through the lobby, out onto the strip and down a side street to a small stone building in the shadow of the Lucky 38. She opens a garage door to reveal an old fashioned car. Shepard had seen pictures of cars from the fifties that resembled this one but at the same time didn't. It more resembled a civilian vehicle form her universe but boxier and definitely dated, as she examined it veronica got in and turned the ignition bringing the engine to life with a purr as the micro-fusion cell activated.

The top folded down and Shepard hopped in as Veronica hit the gas sending them into a sharp turn and down the street and out of the city into the wide expanse of desert. Veronica wasn't particularly good at driving, but she made up for it with enthusiasm grinning giddily as she sent small dust devils in her wake as the car flew across the asphalt. As they got farther and farther away from the city Shepard noticed roving packs of securitrons darting between the many buildings scattered across the sands. The buildings themselves bellowed smoke and fleets of trucks could be seen bussing in workers or carrying product out.

They arrived in Primm in no time and as Veronica pulled in Shepard saw Rex's "shop". It seemed that the massive building in front of her had been some kind of hotel before being converted, it even had a roller coaster attached now converted to connect with train tracks leading off to the north. Workers moved in and out of the building carrying boxes of what Shepard assumed was ammo and weapons into a small fleet of trucks parked out front. Veronica led her through the front doors into an entry way populated by several men and women behind desks each answering a call from the multiple phones on their desks.

Veronica nodded to one of the receptionists as they passed and the girl barely nodded as she wrote down order details with efficient sweeps of her hand. They walk through a hallway into a massive room filled with dozens of boxes stacked in neat rows and Shepard heard the faint roar of machinery far off like it was being muffled by the walls.

"They make the best weapons in the Mojave here" Veronica explains approaching one the rows "Rex stole the Old world blueprints a few years back and he opened this place shortly after we took over."

"Where does all this product go?" Shepard asked.

"Mostly to the private sector; mercenary companies and the like" Veronica explains withdrawing a glimmering black sub-machine gun "We supply the Midwest brotherhood of steel with arms and ammunition along with other factions around the Mojave."

"Wow" Shepard says opening a box and examining some of the guns "I'll need sniper rifles, shotguns, sub machine guns, pistols, and assault rifles."

"Certainly we've got a bit of an overstock at the moment and you pick from our best stock" Veronica says grabbing a clipboard from an employee.

"Alright let's get shopping" Shepard says cracking her knuckles.

/

"So you crashed a space station into a moon?" Rex asked smiling in disbelief.

"You bet your ass those floating jellyfish still have a warrant out for me" Jack says taking a bite of the hamburger steak.

"Wow and I thought I was hot shit for tossing a few nukes" Rex says taking a long drag off his cigarette.

"I was stupid as hell after the crash the Hanar had Mercs after me for months until the other mercs got tired of replacing their dead friends" She said; a wicked expression on her face.

"I know how that is, In the last two years I've been through at least ten different assignation attempts" Rex says rolling his eyes "You'd think they'd stop trying after at most five fuck ups."

"You must make a lot of enemies Carrot Top" Jack says taking a long drink from her cup.

"You don't know the half of it" Rex said flicking the depleted bud of his cigarette across the room into the ash tray by the door. He had gone through his entire supply of special tobacco talking with Jack; they had begun their talk at lunch several hours ago. He found her stories interesting and once she grew a little more comfortable talking with him she was much less hostile in her phrasing.

"So I've been sharing my war stories for hours, but you haven't told me shit about you" Jack said finishing the last of her drink and banging it on a table to get the waitress's attention before saying "You've just been feeding me the tour guide bullshit"

"Not much to say really" Rex says flatly "grew up in a small town called Dust left when I was 14 worked as a mechanic and a gunslinger mostly a gunslinger though. After that I worked as a courier delivered a nuclear trigger to a small city accidently triggered a small time nuclear holocaust. Then a few years later I got shot in the head by a guy named Benny and through a series of events I ended up right here with you."

"Lots of holes there carrot top" Jack said smirking "and you know most people don't just casually say they caused a nuclear holocaust single handedly."

"Most people wouldn't so casually say they brought down a space station either" Rex says smiling as he leaned back and changed the subject from his past, He liked Jack but she didn't need to know too much " So how'd you end up on the Normandy? You don't strike me as a person who would just willingly board"

"Shepard broke me out of prison and helped me drop a bomb on the hell hole I was raised in" jack says looking away for a moment.

"You were raised by Cerberus right? That pro human organization" Rex asks.

"How do you know about Cerberus?" Jack asks suspiciously.

"I read about them in the codex" Rex says quickly realizing the nerve he just touched "From what I've read they're just like an organization that used to exist here called the Enclave".

"Mother fuckers all around, I never understood why Shepard worked with them" Jack says fuming "although the shiny new ship probably helped, and we did deliver a huge fuck you to the Illusive man when we took down the Collectors."

"Indeed" Rex says standing up "Well Jack I think I've taken enough of your time I should probably let you get back to your fellow crew members."

"Thanks for the grub carrot top" Jack says standing up "Maybe I'll let you buy me dinner next time."

Rex places a couple dozen caps on the table and says "It would be my pleasure Jack".

Jack walks out of the restaurant and Rex watches her go admiring her. Just before she leaves the restaurant she looks back sees him watching, winks, then flips him the bird and lets out a jaunty laugh. Rex smiled to himself and laughed as well before walking out of the restaurant to see the tattooed woman disappear into the crowd.

He lit a cigarette and said "My pleasure indeed".

?

Shepard pulled Veronica's car up next to the hulk of the Normandy where the majority of her crew was milling in and out loading waiting trucks and strapping down exposed metal panels. The truck carrying the new weapons came to a stop just behind them and a crew of workmen unloaded several of the boxes. Shepard left the car and flagged Garrus down from his perch atop the Normandy directing traffic.

When he reached her Shepard said "Merry Christmas" before opening a crate revealing a high powered sniper rifle made of black metal. Garrus picked it up and looked down the sights mock aiming at birds and buildings.

"Well balanced, if a bit of an antique by our standards" Garrus said fiddling with the gun's scope "Still using gun powder I assume"

"Yeah of course" Veronica says annoyed at his comments "Finest powder and weapon you'll find outside of the NCR".

"It'll do" Garrus says loading a single round into the gun "My dad trained me on this old rifle that belonged to my great grandfather which was fun until I broke it trying to load the damn thing"

"How'd that go?" Shepard asked.

"Oh great once he realized that his old man had it insured years ago" Garrus says chuckling before shooting a crow out of the sky around four hundred yards away "Bought my mother a new kitchen."

Shepard gestured for the other crew members to grab a weapon. The squad members each equipped themselves with their usual armament or at least their equivalents while the rest of the crew grabbed service pistols and rifles. The crew tested their weapons and made quick adjustments before returning to work. A few hours later after the crew was armed Shepard ordered any and all of the remaining cargo to the warehouse or to the rooms of the crew before she watched the Normandy be lifted on top of a metal platform and surrounded with metal rigging. When that was done Shepard began walking back to one of the trucks to get back to the Strip, Veronica had been called back to the strip by Rex a few hours before, when Thane appeared by her side silent as a shadow.

"How are you Siha?" He asked in his quit voice.

"Fine I've been dealing with getting us armed" Shepard replied grabbing his hand "I'll be glad to get the Normandy repaired; How's EDI holding up?"

"She is fine; Joker on the other hand won't leave the ship" Thane says squeezing her hand softly "I don't believe he realizes how he acts around her."

"Ah yes, I think it's kind of cute" Shepard said smiling "Maybe when we get back we can hook them up with an android body or something"

Thane just chuckled and they walked back to one of the trucks and got in. They watched the Normandy shrink as they rode back to the strip hand in hand.

?

Rex sat in his work shop tinkering at a small machine resembling an old radio; ED-E floated behind him recording his grumblings. As he worked Rex measured out brackish red liquid from a container into a small glass phial before placing it into a slot connected by a green wire to the machine's generator while another few wires connected to the other pieces of the machine. He flipped a switch and the machinery whirred to life sending energy into the tube making the liquid shift and glow red before a blast of red energy sent Rex flying from his chair into a pile of junk on the other side of the workshop.

"Trial #4 unsuccessful" Rex says sitting up and lighting a cigarette as ED-E unfazed by the blast floated over to him with a concerned beep.

He stands up and walks back across the workshop and examines his once again scorched workbench. He collects the fried machine and throws it on a pile of similarly destroyed machines of various sizes and designs before grabbing the bottle of liquid and staring at it intently.

"Possibility of match 100%" Rex says "perhaps a slightly different molecular structure; needs further testing and refinement at the MT."

Rex placed the small bottle into a lock box filled with similar ones, each filled with the liquid. He stowed the lock box in a shipping crate and sealed it.

"Remind me to collect the solid form from Klein" Rex says "This could be our ace in the hole if Shepard is still hiding something juicy from me, which she no doubt is"

ED-E beep in confirmation and then proceeded with several low beeps followed by three long high ones.

"What do you mean that's dishonest?" Rex asks raising an eye brow "I agreed to help them fix their ship and figure out that device noting more."

Another series of beeps this time in an almost disappointed tone.

"Don't you dare tell Veronica about this" Rex says scowling "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

More disappointed beeps.

"How about you show a little loyalty E; I mean who fixed you up when you were collecting dust in Primm? Was it Veronica? No it was me" rex says patting the robot's chassis "you and I have been through more shit than a methane farmer just trust me, okay buddy?"

ED-E beeped somberly than in an almost apologetic tone beeped again.

"Thank you, now let's see about a few upgrades for you old buddy, the computers they brought over are so much more…"

Rex trailed off as a sudden smell it his nostrils, it was faint but still there, the smell of burnt broc flower petals. Commonly used by the legion before battles to ward in preparation speeches.

"Powerful, we can really give you an overhaul" Rex continues reaching forward and opening ED-E's front where the handle of a pistol poked out of the robot's circuits; it was a custom gun that fired a single solid slug of melted steel and plasma through a mini rail gun. The problem was it only had one shot and Rex didn't know where the attacker was. He closed his eyes as he grabbed the gun's handle all the while still talking.

Rex listened and could faintly hear the soft almost silent sound of a padded foot touching the ground as the attacker moved around a stack of parts. He grab the gun and whipped around firing the gun low causing the pellet to explode at an angle dousing the assassin's legs in molten steel and plasma. The assassin screamed and fell dropping a curved blade as their legs caught fire Rex grabbed a small fire extinguisher and put out the fire before it spread across the assassin's body.

A feminine scream rang out as the helmet fell off revealing a chestnut haired woman as the assassin. Rex grabbed three stimpaks and a dose of concentrated med-ex from a first aid kit and plunged them into the assassin's burnt legs and pulled her up by the collar plunged his hand into her mouth and roughly pulled out the false tooth containing the cyanide this caused her to gag and vomit slightly but Rex barely noticed. He pulled her up and carried her to a clean work table and laid her on it before commanding ED-E to go and get Veronica and a doctor.

When the small robot was gone he grabbed a bottle of anti-septic and poured it over the assassins legs causing her to jolt in pain. Rex held her down with his robotic arm as the stimpaks went to work re-growing the burnt flesh.

"Regenerating flesh after a major burn's a bitch aint it" He says tying her to the table "Now my lovely little nightingale we're gonna have a chat."

"Fuck you swine" She snarls spitting in his face.

"Now now don't be that way little birdie and I thought we were friends" Rex says punching her in the stomach "Now be a little nicer and the amount of pain you're going to feel will be considerably less."

"Rexy…"

The woman was coughing uncontrollably, now her eyes were bloodshot and bulging.

Rex on the other hand felt alive, his heart was beating faster than it had in years and the familiar surge of energy was flowing through him.

"You know I might just enjoy this little chat; haven't gotten to beat the shit out of a legion bitch in years" Rex says his smile becoming a sneer. He could feel the old gears in the recesses of his brain bringing up emotions and drives he thought he had buried years before.

"Rexy"

In his rush he almost didn't hear it, but he caught it. He turned to see a little red headed girl crying as she clutched make shift doll. Her tuft of fiery red hair was messy from sleep and he could see that she had been spooked by something maybe another nightmare.

"Rexy I had a bad dream"

The energy left his body and the only thing left was a faint warmth. He walked over to the girl and knelt down wiping the tears from her face.

"Oh that's too bad Rosey, but I'm here now so don't be afraid" He wrapped her in a hug and as he did the violent rage inside him faded as did the phantom girl fade back into his memory. Rex sighed and lit a cigarette as he stood forcing his body to calm down. Veronica arrived with a doctor and the modified mesmatron.

The doctor went to work reviving the woman who had fallen unconscious. While he did that Veronica looked to Rex who was sitting back smoking in a chair with his eyes closed.

"What happened?" Veronica asks flicking the cigarette from his mouth.

"Legion assassin; I got a little carried away went into a rage" Rex replies "She pulled me out of it"

Veronica knew who she was and also knew she shouldn't continue questioning "When she comes to I'll question her you can go get cleaned up."

"Sure" Rex says standing and walking up the stairs to his living quarters and his ghosts.


	9. Ghost whispers

The only light in the small room was the dull red glow of the cigarette as Rex drew from it feeling the rage subside. He sat on his bed quietly smoking staring at the modified armor in front of him trying to make his mind go blank, when a pair of hands began messaging his shoulders. Rex looked back to the scarred face of a woman dimly illuminated by the glow of his cigarette. She would be more attractive except for the long scar that went from the base of her neck almost to her jugular to her left temple.

"Go away Mirada" Rex says shaking ash into a small tray; the smoke barely masked the smell mint on her breath "You've been dead for ten years"

"Oh Rex, baby why are you always so cold to me" she whisper into his ear "Didn't you say you'd love me forever?"

"Yeah I did" Rex replies "but the whole till death do us part clause applies here I believe."

The hands disappeared and Rex fell back onto the bed to find Benny standing above him.

"Wow Baby you really look like shit"

"Are all of you going to annoy me tonight?" Rex says moving his arm over his eyes.

"No just a few cats wanted to say hello Buddy boy" Benny says lighting a cigarette "You know living in your head aint bad lots of skeletons to talk to"

Rex sits up and flicks the depleted cigarette through Benny into another ash tray "I really need to look into an anti-psychotic."

The door opened and light shown through harshly illuminating Rex on his bed. He looks up to see Veronica standing in the doorway flashing that look of mild concern and fear he only saw after one of his slips.

"Don't worry I'm fine" Rex says getting to his feet "What did our new friend have to say?"

The expression dropped replaced by her usual rebellious smirk "She's a frumentarii"

"What the hell's a frumentarii doing this side of border? I thought they were all occupied with the mid-west brotherhood" Rex says changing his shirt "Regardless this is the second attempt to kill me this week."

"She says her order was direct from Octavian himself" Veronica replies "Apparently he's united the more important fragments of the legion."

"How our friends to the east taking all this?" Rex asks as he lit a cigarette and took a long draw.

"They're holding their territory for now, and the largest cluster of legion forces is situated around the center of the old legion territory" Veronica explains.

"We need to increased eastern patrols and shore up our outposts" Rex says grabbing his duster, pack, and gun "And get word to big Mt. ramp up production of securitrons with those new specs, and tell them I'll be arriving tonight ahead of everyone else make sure they have my rooms ready"

"Will do" Veronica says following him out and points to the woman/ "What do we do with her?"

"Throw her in the black site for processing" Rex says lighting a cigarette "Have them milk her for any more info."

"Okay but where are you going?" Veronica asks ordering two spec ops soldiers to carry the woman away.

"War's coming possibly from two sides" Rex says digging out his transportalponder from a bin and flicks a switch activating the teleportation device "I'm going to pick up a few things before heading to Big Mt."

"Please don't tell me you're going to do what I think you're going to do" Veronica says rubbing her temples.

"We'll need them if we want to win" Rex says grimly "I don't care what they were used for in the past but now with the tech and science from the other universe we can use them"

Veronica only looks at him and nods before taking a small gold key from her pocket "you'll need this."

"Thanks" rex says placing his hands on her shoulders "Don't worry if anything comes up you can just punch it to death like you always do."

Veronica nodded and Rex turned around to leave his house and made sure the woman was carried bound and gagged by two soldiers before being thrown into the back of a waiting armored truck manned by the black clad soldiers. Rex nodded as he passed and the stoic soldiers saluted before securing door and speeding off. As he walked through the streets filled with people baking in the afternoon sun Rex lit a cigarette and found a quiet corner devoid of people before pulling out the transportalponder and turning a knob on the back to a notch marked 1, before aiming at the sky and pulling the trigger and disappearing in a flash of blue light.

In a flash of blue Rex arrived in the center of the Villa and drew a small but powerful transmitter from one of his duster's pockets. He activated it and the scream of ancient speakers rang out across the Villa. He could hear the few remaining ghost people left in the Sierra Madre cry out their otherworldly moan and seek out the source of the noise.

He and G/D had cleared most of the ghost people out when he had returned for the Vending machines and Christine, but there were at least a dozen left. The old ones, G/d called them. They were the oldest and most mutated of the ghost people and also the smartest. No trap or assault plan ever worked on them and they mostly stayed out his way when he rarely visited, and when he did they seemed to almost consider him an otherworldly figure. Perhaps it was because he had awoken the old hotel or maybe it was because he could kill their kind quickly and efficiently. He use the speakers to distract them because it was easier than dealing with them directly. Regardless they served as an extra layer of security around the Casino against anyone who stumbled across this hell hole. The red mist still hung in the air, so Rex quickly made his way across the courtyard, through the gates, and up into the ancient Sierra Madre.

He made it through the lobby and up through the many floors without incident. He had ripped out the holographic projectors years go and so the Sierra Madre's halls went un-patrolled. When he arrived at Vera Keye's room he used Veronica's key to open the door and immediately went to the small elevator tucked away to one side of the room and descended into the depths of the Sierra Madre's vault.

He entered his password into the vaults out ward computer and the door opened with a swoosh as the stagnant air was replaced with the slightly less stagnant air of the outer vault. He entered the room passing the slightly charred remains of Elijah, now only a barely recognizable as human skeleton thanks to the holorifle round he too to the chest, and approached the table strewn with gold bars and pressed the small button on the underside of the table disarming the shaped charge beneath. Rex went over to the small terminal and entered another password and opening the panel in front of him. Originally it had been a monitor but Rex had converted it into a vault for storage of extreme materials.

With a creak a tray of six vials extended out of the compartment and Rex walked over to inspect them. He pulled a small carrying case from his pack and grabbed each of the vials. They were three tubes filled with different goo's marked:

F.E.V SAMPLE #102

XZ113 LOT #76

ZZ332 LOT #23

The other three were filled with a fine glowing red and black powder marked:

SPECIMEN #9 CORE SAMPLE #1

SPECIMEN #22 CORE SAMPLE #5

SPECIMEN #18 CORE SAMPLE #3

Rex sealed the container and stowed it in his pack before leaving the vault and sealing the door behind him. When he reached the surface he shifted the nob to the 2 and fired leaving the Sierra Madre in silence once again.

In another blast of blue light he appeared outside the entrance of a cave much to the surprise of the guards. They wore the traditional tribal armor of the Dead Horses mixed with the standard armor of the Mojave military and after realizing who he was they let Rex through with a bow. The soldier was one of the Elite soldiers Joshua was training to be the special forces of the Mojave. He found Joshua sitting behind a desk cleaning and loading dozens of pistols nodding to Rex as he enters the room.

Joshua once known as the burned man had been the leader of both the New Canaanites, the tribes of Zion, and the Special Forces division of the Mojave for two years now and had led them with strength and sternness ever since Rex helped him take down the white legs. Joshua had spared their leader Salt Upon Wounds thanks to Rex; He knew what it was like to be consumed by rage and that was the only reason he was able to talk Joshua down that day. Joshua never let him forget that; every time they met it was the same nonsense of how God sent him to stay his hand and how he was a god send for all of the Mojave. Rex didn't put much faith in religious omens or prophecy, but he let Joshua make his speeches and generally enjoyed his dramatic tone.

Rex leaned against the wall of the cave and lit a cigarette. The smoke wafted across the ceiling of the cave into a small hole in the ceiling directly over Joshua's head. He finished his chore and stood looking over to Rex.

"Rex it's good to see you" Joshua says walking over to Rex "The tidings may be dark but the lord's light will guide us."

"So I take it you've heard about the Legion?" Rex asks taking a long drag from his cigarette.

"Yes I talked with your assistant" Joshua says with a hint of annoyance in his voice "We stand ready to lend our help if this new Legion dares to rise against the Mojave."

Rex picked up the annoyed tone in Joshua's voice. He and Veronica hated each other.

"That's why I'm here we might be facing off against the Legion and the NCR; I'm here to pick up that thing I left with you for safe keeping"

"Of course follow me" Joshua says gesturing for Rex to follow. He leads rex through the maze of tunnels and they eventually come to door with two dead horse guarding a metal door fitted to a cavern entrance.

The two soldiers opened the heavy steel door and Joshua and Rex walked through the door way. They found themselves in a small caver with a small metal pedestal in the center. On top of the pedestal sat a small silver orb about the size of a baseball. Rex walked to the pedestal and grabbed the sphere and gave it a twist causing the sphere to let out a popping sound as the seal was broken. Inside was a single black flower with dark green tendrils poking out of its tightly bound petals. As fresh air hit it the flower opened a little wider and the tendrils moved towards Rex's hand, and he clasped the lid back on sealing the orb once again. He placed the orb in his pack and nodded to Joshua who led him out and after saying his goodbyes Rex turned the dial on the transportalponder to 3 and dissolved in an explosion of blue light.

?

Far above the Mojave in the upper atmosphere Mothership Zeta orbited the Earth, and its captain, Alyssa, gazed down upon the irradiated planet in silence. She was tall and stoic with a long scar across her face that on any other face would have detracted from her looks. Her long black hair was tied back in a single long braid that came to her waist. Her tanned skin was dark in the low illumination of the room; she hadn't left the room in three days, not since she had evacuated what remained of the Capital Wasteland's population on to the ship.

She had the image of Maggie being torn to shreds had been burned into her mind. Every time she shut her eyes she heard the young teen's screams as she and most of the rest of the people of Megaton were dragged away by a horde of mutated monsters as they tore through Megaton's walls and dragged its populace to a gruesome death.

It was the Enclave. The last remnant of them anyway, after almost six years of hiding from the brotherhood they destroyed the purifier after introducing a mutagenic toxin into its reserve tanks that exploded into an aerosol once the massive machine was destroyed. The toxin hit the bustling community that had sprung up around the Purifier and transformed the people living there into twisted horrors that sought out any living matter and devour it. Alyssa had tried to stop it but was only able to evacuate a fraction of the population of the Capital Wasteland before the massive horde devoured it whole.

Rivet city, underworld, and the citadel took the brunt of the horde for as long as they could with underworld being completely destroyed and the brother hood of steel barely managing to evacuate 1/3 of the people of Rivet city. The brother hood lost most of its scribes, half of their knights. Sarah , who now led the Brotherhood after father died of cancer two years prior, led an evacuated of what was left of the brotherhood and Rivet city to Mother ship Zeta through the teleporters Alyssa had given them for study. When they arrived at her base Alyssa immediately dispatched the auto mated scouting ships to pick up any survivors. She went planet side with Fawkes and Dogmeat to assist but could only save a few before the fast moving abominations spread throughout the Capital Wastes

Harold was gone along with all his followers, his promise of trees returning to the wasteland gone forever. The kids at Lamplight were evacuated with only a few lost. Their banished at Big town weren't so lucky, they slowed down the horde long enough for the lamplighter to board the drop ships. The merchant caravans of Canterbury Commons were devoured along with their base. After only a day the abominations had spread out to every corner of the wastes and would have made their way to the wasteland beyond if Alyssa hadn't ordered the death ray fired on the already desolate waste. All that remained was scorched earth now, that and silence.

She couldn't believe that her parent's life work had been used to cause such destruction. All her life she wanted to be like her father, a healer. When she left the vault she used her healing skill to help the people of the wastes and even united them under a common flag, albeit after she shot several people in the face, but in the end she failed them both her parents and the people of the Capital wasteland. In the end all she brought was chaos and ruin.

She brought a small folded up picture from the pocket of her fatigues and unfolded it. It was a picture of her and Amata taken a week before Alyssa's father left the vault to restart project Purity. Amata was smiling and Alyssa was looking up from one of her father's medical Journals. As she looked at the phot of her with her oldest friend she allowed a single sob to escape her before straitening and returning the photo to her pocket. Amata was dead along with Butch and all the other Dwellers of vault 101. They opened the doors to join the evacuation of Megaton just as the abominations attacked; they couldn't close the doors in time and the vault became a trap for its dwellers.

As she stood there in silence the door opened behind her and Sarah Lyons walked into the dimly lit room. She saw Alyssa standing there brooding and for a moment considered not delivering the bad news she carried with her. Sarah knew what it was like to lose men, even in a no win situation it could severely affect any commander. She had lost most of the brotherhood, but Alyssa just lost the entirety of the capital wasteland.

Alyssa had spent all her days in the last six years guarding caravans, offering medical treatment from her home office in Megaton, and acting as the head of the small council that handled the ins and outs of the capital wasteland. She ran herself ragged every day only to have the Enclave destroy it all. Alyssa had always been a compassionate person, something Sarah gave her flak for constantly, but she also admired that about her friend. When they had first met as strangers in the ruins of D.C the only thing Alyssa was worried about was whether she and her team were wounded or not despite the small army of super mutants all around them.

Alyssa had a way with people and knew just how to deal with any situation involving conflict whether it be through diplomacy or if the situation called for it a shot gun. The only reason the wasteland held together was because of her guidance and warmth, and now she was the one who needed guidance.

"Alyssa, we need to talk" Sarah says watching Alyssa snap back to reality "Our food stores will run out in three days, we need to find somewhere to resupply."

"Three days? That's all we have left?" Alyssa asks rubbing her temples "I knew we shouldn't have dipped into the emergency stores in the hold last winter, stupid, stupid"

"It wasn't stupid, we saved lives Alyssa, that food staved off starvation in three communities" Sarah says looking Alyssa in the eye "We saved hundreds of lives that day and now we need to do it again"

"You're right Sarah, I'm sorry" Alyssa straightens and steels her features "We could head to New Vegas, I've heard its thriving and maybe they'll resupply us for some tech"

"Good plan as any" Sarah says nodding "If those caravan rumors are true, then New Vegas will have more than enough resources to help us."

"How is everyone?" Alyssa asks looking back out at the earth.

"Good considering what they've been through" Sarah explains "Arthur is helping move our equipment around and staying out of the way, Fawkes is helping the scribes get the malfunctioning reactors back online, and Lucas is helping keep the peace amongst the refugees."

"Good, have the pilots set course for course for New Vegas immediately" Alyssa ordered and withdrew the sling carrying her custom combat shotgun "I think it's time you and I tried our luck.

/

Rex appeared in a flash of blue light in the middle of a grassy courtyard between two of the Big MT.'s many labs.

"God dammit why doesn't this thing ever take me to the sink anymore" Rex yells and presses the button again only to appear on top of the domed building housing the Think Tank. He sighs and presses the button again and appears about ten feet above Dr. Klein's work station and falls on top of the floating brain bot.

"Who dares desecrate my all-knowing cranium" The brain bot says as he spins flinging Rex onto the floor.

"It's me you pompous idiot" Rex says standing up "The damn Transportalponder is acting up again"

"Oh it's you, our penis toed leader" Klein says "Why are you interrupting my important research?"

"You were playing that stupid asteroid game again" 0 says from below them.

"Silence only my superior mind can see the true value of this training program it maintains my already superior reflexes" Klein booms back his voice cracking with feedback as he did.

"Whatever Klein, are my quarters ready?" Rex asks lighting a cigarette.

"Yes those annoying appliances of yours have been reactivated and your brain has taken up its old tank" Klein says turning back to his game.

Rex scowls for a moment before turning and walking down the steps dodging the techs and scientists moving around the think tank sorting samples and messages from across Big Mt. He nods to several of the administrators and just before exiting the room Dala jets ahead of him and blocks his path.

"Hello little Teddy Bear, have you time for an observation?" Dala asks.

Rex sighs and touches his nose before doing various stretches and took a long drag of his cigarette before blowing out the smoke slowly. Ever since he had restored the Think tank's true intellect (including Klein who oddly enough was the same idiot either way) their individual quirks seemed to be amplified as much as their intelligence. Dala for instance loved locking Rex in a room for her "Observations" if he didn't appease her when he visited Big Mt. Rex had taken a play from Mobius when he restored the Think Tank placing a suggestion in their minds not to experiment on humans without consent or orders. Most of the time anyway.

"Oh thank you that is all I need" Dala says floating back to her station mumbling about teddy bears.

Rex walked through the small junction room and through the door into the Sink. The auto-doc welcomed him with his usual gruff voice:

"Welcome back Rex, how's the heart holding up?"

"Still ticking like a Rolex sawbones, the lungs are a little funky though" Rex replies tapping his knuckles against the auto-doc.

"Well maybe if you didn't smoke more than the damned toaster they'd work better" The auto Doc retorts opening and closing his hatch for effect.

Rex ignores the auto doc and heads to the Sink Central Intelligence Unit as it lights up.

"Evening sink, how are things progressing here? I haven't gotten a status report in more than a month" Rex asks pressing buttons and changing the display to a holographic map of the facility.

"Oh very good sir, all projects are continuing on schedule and Sub-director Gannon has been successful in keeping the Think Tank in line while Director Tyrone is running a tight ship as always." The S.C.I.U replies "And may I say Sir is looking very sharp today."

"Nice try you kiss ass, we both know I look like shit" Rex says slicking back his hair "Send a message to Arcade to get his ass over here"

Rex walked away from the S.C.I.U to his room, saying hello to the light switches and Blind Diode Jefferson and ignoring the toaster and Muggy, and places his pack on the bed before stripping down and entering the shower. He had it installed after moving the Mojave's scientists to Big Mt. along with a small sink and toilet. They thankfully had no personality programming and lacked a voice.

The water poured down his skin and sent scalding heat through Rex as he scrubbed the grime and dust of the wasteland from his skin. His skin was covered in faded scars, burns, track marks, and bullet holes earned throughout his life. After getting out of the shower he looked at one in particular; a small almost invisible scar under his left eyebrow given to him by a rad scorpion when he was six. He still remembered how the stinger barely grazed his face as the massive arachnid attacked him, and how the tip managed to cut him as he dodged the stinger. His father had to shoot the thing six times before it went down and then grounded Rex from his comics for a week for disturbing the things nest. After he got dressed he went into the brain room where Arcade was chatting with Rex's brain.

"Rex good to see you around here again" Arcade says shaking Rex's hand "From what I've heard things have been getting crazy out there."

"You don't know the half of it" Rex says "The legion's about to make a move I just know it, and we have the god damn NCR plotting against us; oh and a crashed alien ship from another universe."

"Just like the old days" Arcade says laughing "You know Rex these things tend to follow you around"

"Precisely why I thank the heavens every day you decided to leave me here while you go gallivanting about in the wastes" Brain said his tank flashing with every word.

"Keep in mind I can place you back in my head anytime I'd like Tyrone" Rex says lighting another cigarette and once again wondering why his brain preferred to be called Tyrone.

"Last time we tried that, the melding of our independent personalities proved to be too much, and I craved that poison nicotine for a month afterward" Tyrone replied in a fussy tone.

"Fine, did you read over those schematics I sent?" Rex asks rubbing his temples. He and his brain always bickered. He found it both Ironic and funny.

"Yes we did, and Rex what we have here is amazing" Arcade says "The fabrication and R&D departments are already pumping out prototypes based on your recommendations and experiments are under way with the new software and tech samples you sent us."

"Good we'll need to get to work before Shepard and her crew arrive with the Normandy" Rex says grabbing a small black drive from his pack along with a mobile terminal from the Normandy "This contains all the information from the Normandy's computers; I'll fill the tech team in on how to use the new computer, and I have a few ideas on how to integrate their holographic tech with our own."

Rex dawned a stark white lab coat marked and gestured for Arcade to follow as he left the room detailing what he wanted done and his plans for the future tech. As they left the room Tyrone flushed himself back through the tubes to the Nexus, formerly the forbidden dome, where he oversaw the entirety of the structures many labs and testing areas. The next few hours were spent readying labs and facilities around Big Mt. for the arrival of the Normandy and making sure the preparations were completed to begin the study of the other world's technology and sciences.

?

Alyssa appeared in a flash of orange light next to the small white probe and walked forward through the jagged opening in the rocks and out onto the burning hot sands of the Mojave. She was dressed in a beat pair of lightly armored pants, a white tank top, a light leather jacket, and combat boots. Her shotgun dangled from a strap at her side and her medical supplies were in a small pack strung across her shoulders along with her ammo pouch. Sarah appeared from the crack wearing full power armor without a helmet and void of any brotherhood symbols as a precaution to being recognized or drawing attention. To a normal person they'd look like a skilled doctor and her body guard.

They had fired the probe into an outcropping of stones silently that morning. They were half a day's walk from the Strip near the mountains, and they walked down the slope and towards the Strip for about an hour before coming upon what looked like a depot of some sort with groups of people boarding and exiting trucks. They cautiously entered the depot and found a kiosk with the label Civilian Transport. They each bought a ticket to the Strip and waited for their truck to arrive. They sat at one of the many benches bolted to the ground by their terminal and drank Nuka Kolas from a machine nearby.

"This is crazy we had at least four years on these guys and they already have public transport after two years" Alyssa says looking over their surroundings "I mean even Moira never got those old trucks moving"

"Yeah and this level of organization suggests some kind of military presence for peace keeping as well as a command structure" Sarah replies eying the securitrons escorting each truck as they rolled out onto the road "The roads are rebuilt and safe, at least mostly protected, and the people aren't too twitchy."

"Yeah, so far this is promising" Alyssa says stroking her braid, a habit she's kept since childhood "If we can meet with this Courier person maybe we can negotiate something"

Their truck arrived and they boarded along with a half dozen other people. Alyssa and Sarah took a seat near the back of the truck near the exit. A man sat across from them in a smudged business suit and read a newspaper while a family of four took the seats to Alyssa's right and a soldier sat at the front with his back against a panel watching the cabin.

Cautious aren't they? Alyssa thought to herself examining the other passengers. The family to her right consisted of a skinny woman about half the size her husband who was obviously a laborer judging by the calloused hands and deep tan. Their two children sat between them a young boy with a tangle of dark black matching his father and a girl who was at least a foot taller who's head was shaved and had the ghostly fuzz of pitch white hair atop her head. The children seemed to be occupied by a large beetle they passed between each other and the parents were smiling as their children played. The man across from Alyssa read his paper silently not bothering to look up at all, even when the truck jumped after going over a bump. The soldier on the other hand watched everything in the truck with the determination and dedication only a trained soldier could possess. Alyssa sat back and looked to Sarah who was staring out the window watching the Mojave pass by behind them.

"Are you two new to the Mojave?" Alyssa heard a voice with a deep southern accent ask and she turned to find the young mother looking at her.

"Oh yes, we're looking to set up a medical practice here" Alyssa replied smiling.

"Oh you'll just love it here, Sylas and the kids and I just finished the probationary period and are going to pick up our citizenship forms at the capitol building" The woman says smiling "We have a lovely little home in Good Springs you see, my Sylas is the best brewer in the Mojave and the lovely folk over in Good Springs can't get enough of his brew, so much so that there's people lining up to give him the capital to open a brewery."

"Marie can you stop talking the lady's ear off" the Man says (in an equally thick accent) looking to Alyssa "Sorry Ma'am the misses loves to brag."

"Oh not at all" Alyssa says smiling "It's good to know there's a decent brewer around"

"See Sylas I'm not bothering anyone, and what did your momma always say about bragging?" Marie asks her husband.

"It's not bragging if it's true" Sylas says rolling his eyes.

"Exactly, now stop interrupting our conversation" Marie says turning back to Alyssa "Like I said you're gonna live it here, there's a place for everyone and the big man around here is quite the silver tongued devil. When Sylas and I were applying for citizenship the courier actually came into the building on some business or another and talked to us, can you believe that? A farmer and a tavern girl from Austin meet the leader of the entire Mojave, and let me tell you he's not much to look at but when he got talking it makes you feel like some big wig from the NCR"

"Wow he sounds amazing" Alyssa says.

"Oh yes indeed no wonder he runs things around here the man could talk a snake out of its fangs I tell you" Marie says laughing.

They rode the rest of the way to the strip with Marie chattering all the way and when they arrived and Alyssa and Sarah said their goodbyes Sylas handed Alyssa a note with the family's address in Good Springs.

"Now if you two need a place to stay anytime soon you come give us a ring, ya 'hear" He says smiling "Marie's takin a real liking to ya and I can tell you all are good people"

"Thanks if we're ever in the neighborhood we'll stop by" Alyssa says as the family walks to the capitol building.

"What a nice family" Alyssa says placing the note in her pocket.

"Yeah if you have ear plugs" Sarah says looking around the strip.

Alyssa laughs as they walk into the crowd of people and towards the Lucky 38. As she walks Alyssa loses the smile and steels herself. Time to get to work.


	10. a Zetan suprise

Hello! Welcome to chapter 10. So I just realized that for some reason I confused Kenneth Donnelly with some figment of my mind named Kevin O'Donnell. So my bad.

In the early morning light, Shepard stood before the Normandy as the final checks were made to the scaffold and supports locking the ship into place. A few of her crew stood beside her, watching as construction drones retreated from the scaffold and the multitude of blinking blue lights fitted to the scaffold began humming softly at first and then becoming a deep vibration. The Mojave work crews ran about making last minute adjustments to the scaffolds ties and supports before they themselves retreated to the line of trucks next to the Normandy. When the humming became so loud it drowned out any other noise blue bolts of electricity crackled across the sand leaving glowing hot glass behind. In a blast of hot air the ship disappeared leaving a thin layer of glass on the sand behind.

A technician approached and said "Miss Shepard we'll teleport you and your crew to Big Mt. after we get the all clear from the other side that the Normandy has been secured in the Maintenance hanger."

"Thank you" Shepard says smiling at the worker before turning to crewmen beside her, Kenneth Donnelly and Gabrielle Daniels, Mordin, Miranda, Jack, Garrus and Tali "Listen up people we need to get the Normandy airborne as soon as possible, and it should be easy if what Craster tells me about this facility is true. We also need to analyze the device that brought us here in the first place, and cooperate with the scientists. They're help and equipment will be invaluable."

Jack spoke up rubbing sleep from her eyes "Why do I have to come to this stupid place?"

"I want you there for security" Shepard says gesturing to the shotgun slung behind Jack's back "and because someone has been abusing her shore leave."

"Hey you said to get to know the locals" Jack says shrugging "Sometimes the best way to get to know them is through my fists."

"Come on Jack a little change of scenery will help that mood of yours" Garrus says smirking.

The rest of her crew had opted out of traveling to the Big Empty and continuing their current reconnaissance mission. Shepard couldn't blame them, this place was still Vegas even with all the nuclear radiation. Although she had never visited earth before, Shepard had heard the tales of the so called sin city. Her crew was relaxing and having fun for the first time in weeks, so she didn't mind leaving them behind for a few hours. A tech approached and handed her a device that resembled one of the old radar guns police used to use on earth.

"Just pull the trigger and you'll be teleported to the Big Empty ma'am" the said writing something on a clip board.

"Won't it get too hot?" Shepard asked gesturing to the glass.

"Oh no, the hand held model is calibrated for organic tissue so you'll be fine" The tech said walking away.

Shepard handled the device and pointed it forward and pulled the trigger, and in a flash of blue she and her crewmembers were standing in a large hanger with the Normandy sitting a few hundred feet in front of them. Drones and technicians crisscrossed the hull and went in and out carrying tools metal beams and a variety of different schematics. Kenneth and Gabrielle went into action alongside Tali spouting out orders and checking the schematics against their own stored on their Omni-tools. Shepard left them to their work and grabbed the small crate containing the device that brought them here before being escorted by a tech out of the hanger with the rest of her crew following close behind.

They were led across the Big Empty to a small lab building near the Think Tank's central dome. When they entered the lab the smell of motor oil and strangely, formaldehyde, permeated their noses. It was a rather large space with most of its size being underground and was filled with all types of equipment and the ancient computer terminals the people of the Mojave used. The space had obviously been recently converted for their use considering the oil stains and unorganized manner the equipment was set up in. Shepard placed the crate on a desk and Mordin went to work after setting up a small mobile terminal next to the crate and began fussing with some of the testing equipment.

"Inferior equipment, converted lab space, smell of motor oil just like university" Mordin says getting to work.

"Garrus you keep Mordin company Jack and I will go and say hello to our gracious host" Shepard says watching as the device surged green as Mordin took it out of its crate before becoming inert again.

"Can do Shepard" Garrus says leaning against a table.

They turned to leave but a stack of papers collides with Jack in a maelstrom of paper knocking Jack and the stack's carrier to the floor.

"Watch it you fucking idiot" Jack yells standing.

"Ugh…Sorry so sorry" came a squeaky voice from the floor. On the floor sat a mousy woman with auburn hair tied back in a ponytail and thick glasses currently trying to shield herself from Jack.

Shepard helped her up and tried to help her gather the scattered papers before asking "Who are you?"

"Felicia Evergreen, Mister Craster sent me to assist Mr. Mordin with his work" she places the stack of papers on a desk and extends a bony hand.

"Pleasure to meet you" Shepard said taking her hand and sizing her up for a moment, now that she's standing Shepard saw that the woman was about a foot shorter than her.

"I'm so excited to work with you guys" She says before looking behind her to Garrus and Mordin "Oh my gosh"

She stares at Garrus for a very long moment and then says "are you guys really from another planet?"

"Yep in another universe actually" Garrus says chuckling.

"OH MY GOSH! That's so cool" Felicia says walking past Shepard and Jack "I've always wanted to meet a real alien."

Shepard motions to Jack to follow and they leave the lab and go out into the Big Empty. After wandering around a little they eventually ask a Technician where they could find Rex, and they get pointed to a lab on the other side of the facility. When they arrive they find a massive rectangular building with a sign on the front of the building that read:

Experimental Technology & Theorem

Testing Facility #1

Two guards waved them through the main door and they found themselves in a wide open space with a massive sphere covered circular hatches in the center of the room. It was surrounded by clear thick glass and a circle of instrument panels and terminals with technicians and scientists standing around it looking at read outs and readings while a security team stood around the room. Rex stood at the control panel adjusting dials and checking data being displayed on one of the terminals, and as usual smoking a cigarette. His red hair stood up in an unkempt mess without the usual gel or oil he used to slick it back. The white lab coat he wore was old and had the name Dr. Craster finely embroidered on the right breast.

"I didn't know you were a doctor" Shepard says as they approach.

"I'm not it was my father's" Rex says taking a drag from the cigarette not looking at them his attention completely on the task before him "I trust you've found your way around alright"

"We've managed" Shepard says moving to his side and looking at the panel he was using "What's this?"

"A new reactor design Felicia's been working on she asked me to test it since I assigned her to help your scientist" Rex replies pressing a few buttons causing the reactor to activate with a Whoosh.

"She designed this?" Shepard asks.

"Yes, despite her appearance and habit of tripping over things she's one of the best physicists and engineers in the Mojave" Rex replies before turning to the personnel all around the reactor "Alright she's primed when we begin the cycling process we'll get fluctuations until the core stabilizes so I want everyone at their respective kill switches if need be"

The personnel took their positions their hands at kill switches all around the reactor.

"Only press if I say so" Rex says "I really don't feel like replacing those cores; alright beginning stage one"

He slides a switch all the way forward and the core begins to hum loudly.

"Should we be here for this?" Jack asks "I don't feel like getting cancer"

Rex winks at her "Don't worry you're perfectly safe; besides the doors were sealed when stage one started."

The hum of the reactor grows louder and a tech to their left says "First spike detected within parameters"

"Good beginning stage two" Rex says turning a dial slowly this time all the way. The lights around them dim and a field of energy fills the glass cylinder containing the reactor.

"Mr. Craster are we safe?" Shepard asks.

"Perfectly fine as long as we don't meltdown in stage three we'll be fine" Rex replies taking a long drag from his cigarette.

"Overall Core stability average at 56%"

"Power levels at the limit of optimum levels"

"Its fine we expected this, the cores won't stabilize until phase four" Rex says tuning another dial "Commencing phase three"

The reactors hum becomes deafening and the field within the cylinder brightens as the terminals around them start to flicker while the dials all around them reach maximum levels. The floor shakes in an irregular pulsing pattern

"Power spikes of the charts"

"Core's stability at 23%"

"Sir, Containment holding strong, but I don't know how long it'll last if the fluctuations continue"

Rex looks at his panel and presses a small switch causing a second set of large metal shutters to close down around the blast doors and windows.

"You know what happens if we abort at stage three we risk a meltdown, and the core needs to enter stage four stabilize" Rex says smiling flicking his depleted cigarette into an ash tray "Commencing stage four"

Before he can turn the final dial Rex feels the barrel of a gun against his head. He looks up to see Jack aiming her shot gun at a guard and Shepard holding her pistol against his head "Shut it down now"

The security team stood frozen with their leader in mortal peril and the techs stood in a stunned silence.

"Like I said the cores won't re-stabilize until stage four is completed" Rex says lighting another cigarette "and the cool down process at stage three, the most unstable part of the activation process, could cause a meltdown or a containment failure"

"I don't care its better than this thing blowing up" Shepard says looking to one of the techs "Hit the kill switch."

The tech looks to Rex and then back to Shepard "Ma'am Mr. Craster is right, there's a 75% chance of breach or meltdown shutting down from stage three without stabilizing the cores in phase four."

"That's one of the drawbacks of this reactor, it can generate amazing amounts of power, but until we activate the final cycling sequence of activation it won't stabilize to its final activation" Rex says smoking his cigarette.

"Fine then" Shepard says lowering her gun.

Rex turns the last dial and the reactor's hum shakes the walls and the terminals as the energy within the tube turns from bright blue to a light green before dissipating as the radiation is vented off.

"Stability at 30%, 54% 67% and climbing"

"Spikes have dissipated and power levels stable within optimum levels"

"Core functioning at peak efficiency sir"

Rex turns to Shepard "Everything was under control". He punches her across the face with his organic arm sending her sprawling to the floor "Point a gun at me again Shepard and next time I'll reciprocate in kind."

Rex opens the blast doors and walks out, his perpetual tail of smoke wafting behind him. A security guard pats him on the back as he goes and the others guffaw loudly. After he leaves, Jack helps Shepard up and says "What an asshole"

"No, I challenged his authority in front of his men and almost got us all killed" Shepard says feeling her face swelling "Look at their faces"

Jack looked around at the guards they all looked elated and satisfied before they saw her looking and went back to their stoic front.

"He just showed the space bitch what for and proved he was right" Shepard says moving her jaw "If we've learned anything about these people they respect strength and how a person uses it."

"Still an asshole" Jack says holstering her shotgun.

"Don't worry I'll pay him back sometime soon" Shepard says brushing herself off "Come on we need to find a first aid kit or something"

?

Rex stalked through the halls of the facility in a rage. How fucking dare that bitch question his actions. He made it abundantly clear that it would need to go through stage four to stabilize. He punched a wall with his left hand and as the dented the metal wall with his robotic hand. And the fucking gun. She had the balls to point a gun at him in his own facility and she was ready to use it. After all he'd been through it could've been ended by a god damn commando bitch from another universe.

"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!" Rex yells punching the wall again and again letting the rage flush through him. Part of him knew Shepard wasn't the main cause for this anger but it felt good to vent some of it at least. He blew through a lab breaking everything toppling all the equipment in his rage.

"You know you shouldn't have let them in for the test" he heard a voice behind him say. Rex turned and saw is father standing there.

"Oh great another lecture" Rex says throwing a beaker at the visage of his father.

"If you had just held them back until the test was done she wouldn't have reacted that way" His father said his bony face rimmed by light brown hair was creased in the disappointed look Rex had dreaded throughout his childhood.

"Yeah no shit, but I wanted to show off our tech, prove that they aren't the only ones with impressive tech" Rex says sitting down amongst the remains of the lab forcing himself to calm down. The rage retreating deep into himself; not gone just buried under a blanket of control.

"Oh that's just like you Rex always show boating for some girl" his father says smiling one of his rare smiles "And watch your language; do I need to get your mother out here?"

"No I'm fine" Rex says lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag "I miss you dad."

"I know" his father says "I'm a figment of your mind."

He fades away leaving Rex alone in the empty room surrounded by the destruction he caused. He bows his head and sighs.

"Why am I such a fuck up?" He asks the empty room. There's no answer only silence.

He eventually gets up and begins cleaning the room when Veronica walks into the room and without a word punches Rex in the jaw and then again in the stomach before twirling around to kick him into the wall. Rex collided with the wall and falls to the ground with a thud as his ass hits the floor.

"OW! Veronica I think you broke a rib" Rex says feeling his abdomen "Yep you broke a rib"

"What you did was reckless and crazy" She says pacing "I mean come on Rex I know you're under a lot of stress, but pulling this shit right now of all times"

"Yeah I know uncalled for, I'll go apologize after I fix this rib" Rex says grabbing a stimpack from a first aid box and after setting the bone infected the stim pack feeling the bone merge back together.

"You freaking better, idiot" Veronica says rubbing her temples "Shepard and her crew are our guests and I don't care that you want to show off."

"Yeah yeah" Rex says popping his knuckles "I need to keep a good relationship with Shepard if I want any more tech."

"Also you shouldn't be a dick just on principal" veronica says walking out of the room "Come on Shepard's in the main foyer"

As they walked back through the halls Rex slumped giving himself a dejected manor. His face contorted into regret and concern and his jaw line became softer. When they reached the main foyer where Shepard and Jack waited with Shepard holding an ice pack against her face. Rex approached and said:

"Miss Shepard I should apologize" Rex says tinging his voice with regret "I lost my head and shouldn't have hit you in fact I shouldn't have performed that test with you two in the testing area, for that I'm very sorry"

Shepard looks at him for a moment and then extends her hand "We both overreacted in there and I think it'd be best if we put this behind us" when Rex took her hand to shake she said "You have a pretty good right hook there for a skinny guy"

"Yeah, Veronica kicks my ass enough I learned a thing or two" Rex says smiling.

They smiled at each other as Shepard crushed Rex's hand in her strong grip. Rex to his credit didn't flinch and returned the grip even harder. They stayed locked in a smiling stare for about a minute with Veronica and Jack standing to the side watching their respective leaders participate in the standoff. When they finally broke the hand shake both of their hands ached, but neither showed it.

"How about I make us some lunch as penance?" Rex asks "I'm known to make a mean fried Brahmin steak."

"We'd love to" Shepard says smiling "and to make sure the apology sticks how about you answer any question I have about the Mojave and you Rex, I still don't know you like I should".

"Of course as long as it's not about my underwear size I'm fine with it" Rex says smiling fully planning to keep the conversation away from the dirtiest bits of his past. He gestured for them and to follow.

They followed Rex to the sink where he sat them down at the small table in the sitting room and went to the small kitchen he had installed and washed his hands before preparing four juicy Brahmin cube steaks by covering them in breading and placing them in oil to fry. As he did Rex kept an eye on the trio at the table and begins cooking a batch of greens and boiled potatoes. He focused on the cooking and wondered if Shepard really wasn't angry. He really was sorry. Rex realized He'd been a dick to Shepard throughout most of her stay here, trying to manipulate her and the rest of the Normandy's crew. Rex decided that maybe he should try to trust Shepard a little more. She seemed to be trustworthy and had that righteous yet humble way of speaking to others; that's what made her a great leader. He needed her anyway, if the Legion or the NCR tried to make a move a group of skilled fighters would definitely be an asset. Besides he had promised to answer her questions, and he might get to know Jack a little more. He enjoyed their last meal together and found himself thinking about her every now and again.

When the steaks were done he loaded plates with vegetables and a steak each and walked out into the dining area.

?

Alyssa walked through the crowds milling in and out of the Tops and across the street to the entrance to the Lucky 38. She and Sarah passed two securitrons who scanned them for a moment before returning to their vigil. They entered the busy lobby and two soldiers eyed the pair from behind a receptionist's desk. When they reached the desk an older woman sat typing at a terminal, and when Alyssa tried to get her attention the woman looked up at her disdainfully before looking down again at an old magazine.

"Excuse me miss" Alyssa says leaning on the desk "We'd like to speak to you about seeing the Courier."

The woman looks up and smiles a crocodile grin and says "You and the rest of the wasteland honey. Mr. Craster is otherwise occupied at the moment and will not be taking any appointments until his business is concluded." She returned to her magazine.

Alyssa sighs and asks "When will his business be concluded?"

"When it's concluded" the woman says licking her thumb before tuning a page.

Alyssa turns and walks out of the Lucky 38 onto the Strip and sat at one of the many benches set up around the Strip. A man across the street stood holding several bundles of newspapers with ink stained hands. He noticed the pair leave the operating base and adjusted his watch, clicking a small button on the edge three times before turning and dropping one of the bundles outside the Capital building. His watch chimes twice and he continues on his way checking the labels on his bundles of newspapers.

Alyssa sits back in the bench and strokes her braid as she talks "We need to find the Courier"

"Looks like he's busy" Sarah says scanning the Strip for any threat.

"Well he's gonna have to make time for us" Alyssa says "That old bag of a receptionist is obviously covering for him; if I had to guess he's not even here in New Vegas."

"Well the man has a nation to run we would've been turned away anyway" Sarah replies.

"I know, but we need assistance now if we're going to keep our people alive" Alyssa says looking at the Government building gets up "Come on we need to go find someone in the government building who can help us get in touch with the Courier."

Sarah begins to rise and then falls to the ground before her legs turn to jelly and slumps her eyes closed. Alyssa rushes forward and finds a small dart protruding from Sarah's neck, and she whips around drawing her shotgun. A small dust storm seems to come from nowhere and envelopes Alyssa and the section of the Strip she was standing in. She felt a small pin prick on her neck and feels her muscles relax and fail her as she falls to the ground and stays conscious long enough to see a bright flash of blue light and a pair of black combat boots appear before the darkness takes her.

?

"Yeah, so there I am alone mowing through elite Legion guards and suddenly this hulking mother fucker is just standing there on the hill watching me with this glare, right, and then he starts talking to me, and I start thinking maybe I can talk this guy down" Rex says moving his arms excitedly with every word "and I almost do too and then out of nowhere the guy pulls out this huge fucking bumper sword and slices straight through the arm, bone and all, and kicks my ass down the hill. Then he jumps down after me and pins me to the ground with his foot and starts monologueing; all the while I'm losing blood fast."

"How'd you get out of that?" Shepard asks her arms on the table drinking the coffee Rex made for them when the conversation had lasted into the evening.

"Oh Boone shot that mother fucker through an eyehole in his mask" Rex answers before taking a long drag of a cigarette "So anyway that's why I have the robot arm. Built her out of some old parts from a dead Android from the east, and she's been keeping my ass alive for two years now."

"How long it take you to adjust to that thing?" Jack asks smoking her own cigarette she bummed off of Rex "Seems like something worth being pissy over."

"Oh after all the shit that I've been through and lost in my life a fucking arm is nothing" Rex says laughing with only a hint of resentment in his voice "And besides this baby is much better than my normal limbs, I can fire fifty caliber rifles one handed thanks to the kinetic absorption units I installed and it has a bottle opener."

"Rex acts tough now, but when he got that thing installed he complained for six months how it itched and would constantly make me calibrate the damn thing until he programmed an auto doc to do it" Veronica says punching the black metal of Rex's arm "Even though he's perfectly capable of doing it himself."

"Hey you ever try to calibrate a complex machine one handed?" Rex asks before turning to Shepard "So we've covered the arm, the sink, and my misadventures in the Mojave in general what else do you want to know?"

Shepard thinks for a moment and asks "Tell me about you Rex, tell me about who you were before you became the Courier of legend."

"Not much to say really, grew up in a little town called Dust with a mom, a dad and a little sister. Left when I was fourteen worked the Brahmin caravans then worked as a mechanic then a gun for hire before becoming a courier for a few years then I got shot in the head" Rex said stamping out his cigarette.

"You're leaving out a lot of details there" Shepard says.

"I said I'd answer truthfully not completely" Rex says winking.

"Ya know I want to know a little more too, you gave the exact same excuse the other day" Jack says grabbing another cigarette from Rex's pack "I mean you're not the first person with a fucked up past if that's the problem"

Rex looked to Shepard and then to Jack and sighed "You know I'd love to tell you, but I should probably be a lot more intoxicated for that." He stands up and grabs the plates still on the table and moves to the sink and begins washing the dishes, and he rolls up his sleeves revealing the deep and slightly faded track marks only gained from years of drug abuse. Echoes of a destructive lifestyle that stayed with someone long after the last time the needle breaks the skin.

Shepard and Jack notice the marks and take the hint, and Jack felt a pang of something in her chest. Certainly not concern, but compassion.

Man the Girl Scout really has changed me huh? Jack thinks to herself.

When Rex returns to the table he sits across from Jack with his sleeves still rolled up as if leaving them there was an answer to Shepard's question. In a way it was. Jack had been watching Rex anytime she'd been near him, and he definitely had some baggage. She caught him looking at her often throughout the meal and he often addressed her directly with questions and response as if she was the one who had been asking about him and this world. When he asked questions he almost always asked both of them. His personality was definitely intense when he wanted it to be, and that was the problem.

He's just looking to get laid Jack thought to herself looking to score with the chick from outer space.

He wasn't really interested in her. Jack had dealt with his type before, someone so fucked they knew just how to get other fucked up under their control or into their bed. Whatever, if he wanted to play his little game just to fuck her then let him play. She just might let him get what he wanted in the end; she had heard some very interesting legends from some of the bimbos that hung around the casinos about Rex.

Jack looked up from her cup of coffee and found Rex looking at her, his grey eyes examining her silently as Veronica and Shepard talked. The look wasn't the typical ogling she got from men, but was closer to the look someone gave when they were perplexed by a puzzle or game but are still amused by it. Jack locked her gaze with his and he held firm his look changing from puzzled amusement to a soft smile that made Jack blush. She scowled and broke the eye contact and shook her head banishing the warmth from her cheeks.

He's just playing a game with you Jack don't get too caught up in it she silently thinks to herself and looks up to find Rex standing as an aid whispers in his ear.

"If you'll excuse me I have some business to attend to, Veronica make sure they get back to the lab okay" Rex says throwing on the lab coat he discarded earlier and turning to Jack "I think we should do this again sometime Jack, maybe with just the two of us."

When he left the room Veronica says "Sorry about that, he's always working. It may not seem like it but Rex works himself ragged to keep the Mojave running."

"I totally understand being a leader can be taxing" Shepard says sipping her coffee.

Veronica smiles "Oh and sorry again about the punch, good thing he hasn't been paying attention when we spar or he could have done some real damage".

"Oh, don't worry about that I've taken worse hits than that" Shepard says chuckling "Once you've been brought back from the dead a punch seems like nothing."

"Whoa what do you mean, you came back from the dead?" Veronica says wide eyed.

"Well, we were under orders to search for Geth in the terminus systems…."

?.

Rex walked down the hallway with the soldiers and into a small windowless concrete room where two women sat tied to chairs. On a table to the right of them was all of their equipment placed in neat rows. Rex walked past the women and began looking over their belongings, and picked up a laser pistol engraved with the Brotherhood of Steel logo.

"I'm going to assume you're from an outcast group" Rex says turning "Your accent isn't like anything from around here and you don't have the markings of the Midwest brotherhood, so where did you two come from?"

"We're from the Capital Wasteland, and were seeking asylum for our people" Alyssa says calmly.

"From what I hear you have a good thing going out there with that purifier of yours" Rex says placing the pistol back on the table.

"There was a viral outbreak and we had to cleanse the area; everything is gone" Alyssa replies sadly.

Rex looks at the woman for a moment and laughs "Okay, now let's see what you can offer me Miss?"

He gestures for the guards to release Alyssa and she says "We have several skilled scientists and workers along with hardened soldiers along with the ship that brought us here"

"Ship?" Rex says with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes we have a spaceship like in those old serials from before the war" Alyssa explains "Full of tech you can use if you can arrange a place for my people to live with food and shelter."

"Well we can always use skilled workers and soldiers, and the tech if you're not lying will be useful" Rex says before thinking What are the odds I'd get my hands on not one but two god damn spaceships in the span of a week?

"I'm also a skilled doctor with an emphasis on combat medicine" Alyssa says rising from the chair "My name's Alyssa by the way"

"Rex Craster, a pleasure to meet you Alyssa" Rex says turning away from them for a moment before turning around quickly wearing thick black sunglasses and holding the Mesmetron and pressed the button blinding the women with green light "Now Alyssa I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer them to the best of your ability okay?"

"Ugh what the hell did you just do to me?" Alyssa says rubbing her eyes as a warmth made her thoughts fuzzy "Ugh yeah sure I'll answer your questions."

"Are you now or have you ever been an agent of the NCR or the Legion?"

"No, like I said we're from the capital wasteland" Alyssa replies the fuzzy feeling disappearing leaving only a clear coolness that eroded any will to lie.

"Do you really have an alien space ship?"

"Yes, and it's big with a death ray and countless drop ships along with an arsenal of weapons" She says, the words flow from her mouth as if they were water.

"Why are you here?"

"To secure sanctuary for my people first and foremost somewhere they can rebuild their lives and be happy" Alyssa says her green tinted eyes staring at Rex.

"Okay then, sorry about the Mesmetron interrogation can't be too sure these days" Rex says putting the glasses back on and pressing a button releasing the women from the trance with a flash of blue light. He waits thirty minutes for them to wake up fully and unlocks the bonds of both women "well ladies if you can show me this space ship of yours I might just be able to help you"

"Ugh Oh! Of course" Alyssa takes a small white cube from the table and looks to Rex "I have your word you'll keep to your end of the bargain if you're satisfied with the ship."

"Of course" Rex says lighting a cigarette "You can land it here we have plenty of landing spaces"

"Alright" She presses a button on the cube and speaks "this is the wanderer I want you to hover the mother ship directly above me."

"Roger, we should reach you in about ten minutes"

"Alright my people are on the way" Alyssa says placing the cube down on the table.

Rex then led them out of the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the Big Empty's central dome and into the light to find his personnel gawking at something in the sky. He looked up and saw the massive disk of Mother Ship Zeta looming over the Big Empty.

"Miss Alyssa, I think we might have a deal" Rex says lighting a cigarette shielding the flame from the wind with his hand.


	11. negotiations

Rex crawled across the scrub brush around Mrs. Flynn's house with the bubbling one year old, Rose, attached to his back in an improvised carrier. Her red hair bobbed against the back of his neck as he made his way across the small yard towards the open window where the fresh sweat rolls sat cooling. Jen Callaghan promised him a kiss if he stole a sweet role for her, and Mrs. Flynn never shared them when they were hot, so Rex had the idea to liberate a few while they cooled. The sweet roll would be a great treat for Rose anyway. She was turning one today, actually only a few months before Rex's tenth birthday, and he knew the little red head loved sweet rolls.

As he made his way to the open window Rose began to hum softly one of her mismatched tunes. Rex stops just before the window and reaches back and pats the girl on the head and she stops humming and falls completely silent just like he taught her to. Since they were generally an inseparable pair Rex taught his little sister to go quiet when he patted her on the head; it helped greatly when they played hide and seek with the other kids. Rex continued his slow movement towards the window sill and when he reached it he stood up slightly to look over the window sill into the kitchen. It was empty and the sweet rolls sat invitingly in front of him radiating the cinnamon sweet smell the whole town craved.

Rex carefully grabbed three rolls and placed them in the small bread box he took from his own kitchen and placed the pastries in the small box. Just as he closes the lid Mrs. Flynn enters the kitchen and her sharp old eyes met his and her face twisted into a frown.

"Rex Craster I'll beat your butt raw boy" she says grabbing a big wooden spoon.

Rex turns and runs jumping through the shrubs and out onto the old decrepit street. The thin and bony Mrs. Flynn burst out of her home brandishing the spoon and ran after Rex and Rose. Rex ran through the streets and off into a side street to the outskirts of town. Despite his best efforts Mrs. Flynn was chasing them down and even keeping speed with him despite her age. Mrs. Flynn threw the wooden spoon and it smacked into his leg and Rex fell to the ground skidding in the dirt.

After a vicious (and deserved according to Mrs. Flynn) whacking from the spoon Rex sat on a slab of concrete watching Rose eat one of the sweet rolls. Mrs. Flynn had given one to the girl after realizing it was her birthday. Rose gleefully ate the delicious treat as Rex rubbed his butt still feeling the burning after pain from Mrs. Flynn's onslaught. As he looked at Rose he smiled as she finished the role and chased after a small bug crawling across the ground.

"Be careful Rose" Rex yells after as she cashes the bug in circles giggling.

"You're gonna have to be her protector Rex; it's your responsibility as her big brother" He heard his father say.

He looked around not seeing his father anywhere, and noted that his father said that at Rose's fifth birthday not her first. The birthday only a few months before the last birthday he spent with his family. He looked back to find Rose gone and storm clouds spreading across the sky.

"No! No! Rose, where are you?" Rex yells looking all around franticly "Rose please be here please be safe"

And suddenly he was standing in front of Dust's town sign his hand stained with a black paint and ash mixture and the on the sign written over the large red word Dust was a word written in an ugly and jagged handwriting: ASH. He looked behind the sign to see the charred and still smoking remains of his home, and with one final look he turned and began his long walk.

Rex woke up from his dream shaking the sleep from his eyes. He sat up in his bed and looked to the small mirror near his bed and for a moment saw his old face. The face he wore in Dust, before it was rimmed in hard edges and intense anger, the soft smiling face with kind inquisitive eyes that his mother loved to pinch. He blinked and the image changed to the thin hard edged face sculpted by the hard winds of the wastes.

He got out of bed and showered letting the hot water soothe away the memories of his past into the dark part of his brain where he kept them. Right alongside his ghosts. After his shower Rex got dressed and after eating a few slices of toast he left the sink by way of one of the new Transportalponder stations placed around the Big Empty to travel to the empty stretch of dessert where mother ship Zeta was being kept. He walked through the security check and looked at the massive disc shaped craft.

It had been a week since the people of the Capital Wasteland came to the Mojave and they had been integrated into their own community in what was once Nipton. They were actually a great resource in their knowledge of science and engineering as well as the experienced merchants and soldiers. The ship they came in was amazing too. Thanks to a translation program created from the logs of a prisoner of the aliens the tech inside was slowly being catalogued and studied, including the very important device located at the center of the ship. A little surprise for Shepard and her people Rex thought to himself.

As he walked through the complex of tents and temporary buildings he looked to the large grouping of metallic toy horses they had found on the ship. There didn't seem to be any reason for the Aliens to have a huge collection a single pre-war toy, but conspiracy theorists amongst the research team that they were planted by the aliens. Regardless the toys were being placed in truck to be stored in a warehouse and would be studied later after some of the personnel could be spared.

Rex lit a cigarette and grabbed a cup of coffee from the supply tent before walking through another security check point into the ship. He walked the metallic halls through the throng of researchers and techs examining weapons and various other devices. When he made his way to the center of the ship a large man sat comparing a holographic display to the massive core of the ship.

"Crowley, What do we have here?" Rex asks placing his coffee on a workbench.

"Your suspicions were correct sir, it matches designs for mass effect cores the Normandy's crew gave us even if it is a little primitive" Crowley replies.

"Good" Rex says "Does the element zero match the ore samples we have in our possession?"

"Yes, it's a hundred percent match" Crowley says looking over his screens "analysis shows that the Element Zero of our universe is just a few molecules different from The Normandyverse's Element Zero"

"Normandyverse?

"It's what the research team is calling the universe our other guest hail from" Crowley answers.

"I want reports on what we know is possible and what we think is possible with this tech within the week" Rex says taking a drink from his coffee and walked back through the archway and into the ship's corridors. As he walks he notices a gust of air flows past him and he stops and turns seeing a from draped in the faint distortion of a stealth boy walking away from him down the empty hall.

"Miss Goto I sincerely hope you checked in at security" Rex says taking a drag from his cigarette.

The form stopped and turned before the stealth field dropped and Kasumi stood there pouting "Can't you let a girl have some fun? Honestly Mr. Craster if even one of your guards was as perceptive as you I'd be in a sticky situation"

"This is a restricted area Miss Goto, and I don't recall giving the Normandy's crew access" Rex says finishing his coffee.

She just shrugs.

"Tell Shepard I want to see her" Rex says turning around and as the blur turned the corner he felt a small tap on his left shoulder as another smaller blur slid past him "Make sure my message is sent and received promptly."

He continued his walk through the corridors before reemerging out into the sunlight where ED-E waited floating next to Veronica. She wore a business suit and held a clip board in one hand and was holding a black business suit on a hangar. Rex frowned and reluctantly walked to his second in command.

"Don't tell me that meeting's today" Rex says sighing.

"Yes, and if we keep them waiting we'll lose what little cooperation from the NCR we have" Veronica says handing him the suit.

"Fine" Rex says ducking into an empty tent to change and after putting the pressed suit on he walked back out into the sun "come on I have a meeting with Shepard, let's get this over with"

They disappeared in a flash of blue light as Rex lit a cigarette.

?

Shepard sat in the small research facility eying Tali and Mordin as they worked on the ancient device. The last week of work produced one clear fact, the device was broken. This weighed on her crewmen greatly, Mordin was muttering to himself even more than usual and Tali had barely slept in days trying to uncover the secrets of the device. The only thing they had found was that the center crystal of the device was fractured on a microscopic level making any kind of repair difficult if not impossible.

"Alright everyone needs a break" Shepard says getting up and walking over to the pair "Kevin and Gabby have been resting in their quarters and I want you two to do the same"

"Yes rest needed" Mordin says rubbing his temples "Need sleep"

"I can run another maintenance check on my suit while I sleep" Tali says walking towards the door yawning.

They walked out of the building and disappeared in a flash of blue back to the strip. Shepard was about to follow with her own Transportalponder when Kasumi appeared in front of her.

"Kasumi what's the report on that ship?"

"It's advanced and proves that there are aliens in this universe" Kasumi says opening a display of the ship's interior "Shepard I think it has a mass effect core."

"Interesting, we'll have to assume there's something or someone out there; I might have Joker and EDI send out long range distress signals once the comms are fixed just to see if anything bites. Mordin believes there might even be version of the council races in this universe" Shepard says "If we have prospective allies on this side we might just have an advantage."

"We might be a little too late Shepard it's been more than a century since our time" Kasumi says.

"These aliens prove that there's at least some intelligent life here implying the reapers didn't destroy everything" Shepard explained "There might be more out there. I need to speak with Mr. Craster right away; the data on that ship could prove invaluable."

"Funny, that's exactly what he told me to tell you" Kasumi replies "He wants to see you as soon as possible."

"When did he tell you this?"

"He found me snooping inside the ship that guy must have eaten his carrots when he was a kid because he can see and track me when cloaked" Kasumi says pouting "I know I've been using this world's stealth tech but no one else has noticed me."

"You know there are legends from the old west of gunslingers that had the ability to track and shoot anything within a certain distance, see what others thought to be nothing" Shepard says tuning her transportalponder "Some said these men were touched by god. Or the devil. I wonder which is which with Mr. Craster."

Shepard pulled the trigger and the pair disappeared in a flash of blue light.

?

Rex sat at the conference table looking at the group of men before him. Half of them were fat while the others were skinny; all looked confident and slimy. These men were the six NCR business owners and government officials that worked with the Mojave to receive breaks and deals on services and goods. Rex had forged an uneasy alliance with these men not long after the NCR started officially interacting with the Mojave. Rex had made it a point to align with these men knowing they were powerful enough to keep the NCR's government friendly and greedy enough to keep the gravy flowing no matter the cost. It was a small price to pay for allies in the upper echelons of the NCR. Although listening them trying to bullshit him for three hours almost made him reconsider his choice of allies.

"Mr. Craster for two years now we have worked with you diligently to ensure that both our interests are kept in mind during our biannual meetings" Richard Ghat says, a bone thin man with receding white hair and long set in wrinkles on his face, standing from the table as he chewed a fat cigar. Rex hated cigars "And my fellow partners will agree that if we don't receive our demands as written in the new deal we have so graciously written with your needs in mind, then we will just have to withdraw our support."

Rex sat in silence smoking a cigarette watching one of the men take a pinyon nut from one of the snack bowls on the table and stuck it in his mouth tracking spit on his fingers as he went back for another.

"All we ask Mr. Craster is that you take in mind the simple things we ask for" Bill Frasier, a snake skin suit wearing man of about three hundred pounds said "It is a risk back home to be so, how do I put this, involved with the wasteland government; we have men and women all across our lovely nation protesting any trade with the Mojave. With these items we believe we can smooth over any tension amongst the common folk. All we ask for is a few of your securitrons and a lookie-loo into your scientific research that's all. We don't even need anything earth shattering maybe just some of that quick-crete you've been using to repair this dusty old town of yours."

"Oh really Bill, wouldn't you love to get your hands on that; last time I checked you owned the only private construction firm in the NCR" Rex says rubbing his temples as he rose "And Richard tell me what cutting ties with me and my government will do to benefit the NCR? Huh? As of right now I trade with the NCR solely to keep a friendly relationship, but that can all change if you want it to. By all means why don't you go and tell all those big wigs you all report to when you get back that I didn't bite and all the things I've been supplying in bulk will become scarce really quick. Then you'll see just how tense the common folk will really get. What will happen when all those lovely little comforts I've been supplying go away? They'll get angry, at me first but you know I might just have to start spreading a rumor that some politicians and big wigs are behind the whole thing. Hoarding the good medicine, liquor, parts, and oh what's the last thing I supply? Oh right, all those luxury goods that make life so much easier. You know what happens to people who have life's little comforts taken from them? They look for the person responsible and generally take something from them."

The group was taken aback with this outburst and the one scarfing down pinyon nuts dropped one on the table.

He walked over to Frasier and took the cigar out of his mouth and threw it into and ash tray "Go ahead withdraw your support I don't care. I can wait you out, scratch that we can wait you out, and just don't wait too long or I might just go directly to your competitors. I here there's a lovely man named Hank MacDowell who wants to aggressively expand his and his partner's business holdings. Face it gentlemen you're stuck with me, but I'm not stuck with you. Consider that next time you try to amend our agreement to better suit your greedy desires."

Rex walked out of the room and commands the soldiers waiting outside to escort the men back to their Vertibird. He finds Veronica looking over some plans with one of the government workers and she looks up dismisses the worker and asks:

"How'd it go?"

"Just like we expected; they're growing bolder. I have no idea if there aligned with this Voorhees or not, but something is giving them backbone they didn't have before" Rex says lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.

They walk to the elevator and wait for it to descend a floor and a half before Rex hits a switch stopping the elevator and Veronica says:

"We've got reports from the NCR; there's a movement that's gaining traction for a military assault on the Mojave. People don't like how much they import from us and don't like the fact we kicked the NCR out even more. The common people are being worked into a fervor out there with speeches from activist claiming they need to reclaim the true spirit of the NCR and comparing us to unwashed savages. We've linked it to some of Voorhees's known associates. On the bright side that report you wanted came in this morning."

"Good" Rex says taking a thick red folder from Veronica.

"Rex I read through the report, that man you wanted info on Colonel Richard Everett, He's been heading up the secret development division of the NCR military's R&D agency for thirty years now. He had a daughter, named Violet, who married a John H. Craster, a combat medic turned Follower of the Apocalypse, twenty nine years ago. They disappeared with their infant son twenty seven years ago. Rex this man is…" Veronica says.

"I know" Rex says taking a drag from the cigarette as he flips through the report "He's my mother's father, my grandfather."

"Rex this is huge, you have actual family out there" Veronica says "You're from the NCR"

"Family that works under General Voorhees, Veronica, according to this he was part of the committee to appoint Voorhees with his stars" Rex says handing her back the report "It doesn't matter now, all that matters now is that we're on opposite sides. You know as well as anyone what that we can let this cloud our judgement even if family's involved."

"You're right can't let it get to us" Veronica says sadly as she looks to the floor.

Rex looks at her for a moment and sighs "I'm sorry I shouldn't have brought it up. I know what happened still weighs on you. Have you heard from them recently?"

"Got a letter from Ramos last month they've set up shop in an old abandoned warehouse to the north. McNamara is still running things even after the remains of Hardin's outcasts attacked again, but all in all they're doing okay" Veronica says looking at the floor.

"I know what I did to them was harsh, but after that attack I had to hold someone responsible" Rex says placing his hand on her shoulder "They left me no choice after they attacked that caravan."

"I know, even if it was an accident what they did was unforgivable" Veronica says sadly.

Rex turned around and let Veronica steady herself; He knew that she was rubbing her wrist, where three names were tattooed. When the doors opened they made the quick walk through the lobby and across the street to the Lucky Thirty-eight where they found one of Shepard's crew, the large reptilian alien named Grunt, talking to Shepard herself in the entranceway of the building. The big creature was shaking his head as he spoke and wore what Rex guessed as a satisfied grin.

"Shepard sorry for making you wait; I had a meeting to attend to" Rex says approaching the pair.

"Don't worry about it I've had company" Shepard says gesturing to Grunt.

"Oh yes I saw you arm-wrestling Mean Sonofabitch last week at the Atomic wrangler" Rex says lighting a cigarette "How'd that turn out?"

"He lived up to his name I got three wins before he turned it around when that bastard broke three of his own fingers and then he threw me off the stage" Grunt says laughing "it was fun."

"I'm sure" Rex says chuckling "besides that have you enjoyed your stay here Grunt?"

"I like this town, lots of things to fight and the humans here are more entertaining and tougher than most I've met" Grunt says scratching his chin "Except for Shepard of course."

"Well I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay with us Grunt" Rex says putting his mechanical hand out to shake Grunt's. The Krogan grabbed the hand and shook it with an iron grip that dented the metal of Rex's robotic hand. Grunt walked off back onto the Strip.

"Thank god I'm ambidextrous" Rex says moving his metal fingers "There's an entire planet's worth of him in your universe?"

"Yeah" Shepard replies smiling.

"Well, come up to my office so I can fix these dents" Rex says walking inside and to the elevator.

When the trio were in the elevator Shepard says: "The Krogan survived their own nuclear holocaust so I imagine that he feels some kinship with you and your people."

"I read about that in the codex, seems both our species are members of the Nuked planet club" Rex says looking to Shepard "It's nice to know humans aren't the only ones stupid enough to participate in nuclear war."

The elevator opened and Shepard and Rex entered his office while Veronica went to her apartment to change. When they entered the stuffy office Rex gestured for Shepard to sit in the chair in front of his desk before sitting himself behind the desk. He took a small homemade computer module from the desk and placed it an anti-static box before stowing it in a drawer, before taking out a tool kit and went to work replacing the plating on his hand.

"So let's cut to the chase Shepard" Rex says as replaced the dented plating with shiny black replacements silently cursing himself for not switching to the reinforced Saturnite arm he'd been working on "Miss Goto has been sneaking around my operation with what I assume are stolen stealth boys"

"I like to be informed" Shepard replies calmly "And I assure you nothing was taken"

"Listen Shepard there's no reason to sneak around; What you've provided for my people is going to change things, for everyone not just the Mojave" Rex says "And in the spirit of that thought I'll confirm what Miss Goto undoubtedly showed you. Yes the vessel has a functioning Mass Effect drive proving both the existence of Element Zero in this universe as well as mass effect based technology."

"Wow, very forthcoming" Shepard says chuckling "Starting to trust me?"

"A little, I can tell you're a person to be respected" Rex says putting away his tools "but in the end you're staying in my hotel, I have your ship in my hangar, you and your crew are bearing weapons I supplied, and I will supply dextro amino acid rich food when your stores run out. In short I have no reason to mistrust you because I currently hold all the cards. Shepard I've done my homework and I'm willing to work with you, but that ship's off limits. All relevant data will be handed over to you to help get the Normandy back online."

"What would it take to get my hands on that ship's database?" Shepard asks steeling her features.

"I'd like to look at the blue box technology that runs your A.I" Rex says locking his gaze with Shepard "Or at the very least that miniaturized version you have stowed in your suit."

"How did you find that out?" Shepard asks calmly.

"You're not the only one with invisible hands" Rex says winking "I have a manifest of your cargo, yes even the off the books cargo, in my possession and will gladly accept the tech as payment. Of course you don't have to give me anything; it's not like I'm holding a gun to your head after all."

"Just the cube? Not our weapons tech or anything like that?"

"First and foremost I'm concerned with tech that will help across the board" Rex explains rolling a cigarette before lighting it "it will take us awhile to figure out how to miniaturize the mass effect fields anyway, and a weapon only has so many uses while an advanced computer like the blue cube can change every aspect of our lives."

"If I do my people have unlimited access to the alien craft?" Shepard asks.

"Of course, as long as they share any and all findings with my people" Rex says blowing twin puffs of smoke out his nose.

"Absolutely" Shepard replies a warm smile playing across her face "It's your ship after all."

"I'll get the necessary security clearance drawn up for your personnel" Rex says standing up "it should only take…"

He was interrupted by Veronica bursting into the room hastily putting on her armor "Rex we have a situation. A Legion war party is burning their way towards New Vegas."

"How'd they break through our border security" Rex says throwing on his armored duster and holstering his pistol.

"They're in armored tractor trailers with at least a dozen other vehicles"

"What the hell! They've updated their strategies; any casualties?" Rex asks equipping a bulletproof vest over his shirt and places the weathered goggles on his head.

"Ten of our border patrol unit are dead Boone barely made it out and Rex had his brain case burst open." Veronica replies.

"Fuck, activate our vehicle units and have the boomers ready those long range cannon prototypes" Rex says helping veronica equip her Saturnite fist before turning to Shepard "Shepard, you think your squad's ready for some action."

She nods and activates her communicator "I need any and all available squad member in front of the Lucky 38 ASAP, come armed and ready we have a situation to handle."

They board the elevator and when they reach the ground floor Thane appears from the crowd of office workers relaying messages and hands Shepard her equipment. She quickly suits up and the quartet walk out onto the street where Garrus, Jack, Grunt, Legion and the rest of the combat squad are standing amongst two dozen armored vehicles manned by Mojave soldiers and personnel carriers carrying two dozen men each. Each of the armored vehicles was equipped with a fifty caliber machine gun and two smaller Gatling lasers on the sides while the personnel carriers were equipped with plasma canons on their roofs and openings for smaller weapons on its sides. Rex walks to a heavily modified armored vehicle pained blood red. He gestured for jack and Shepard to follow him as Veronica and ED-E take their seats. Jack and Shepard strap in in the back of the armored vehicle and Veronica takes shotgun While ED-E clicks himself into an armored gatlling laser on top of the vehicle. After they get in Rex gets in the driver's seat and takes a microphone from a panel next to the wheel and turns the loud speaker on:

"Listen up folks, the New Legion is finally making a move, approximately thirty minutes ago they attacked our eastern border with three armored semi's as well as other vehicles and are now heading towards new Vegas proper. I think we should go and give them a warm Mojave welcome. Assume delta formation and ready your weapons. Move out" He revs the engine of the powerful vehicle and bolts forward sending clouds of dust behind. The rest of the vehicles take off after Rex and with battle cries and guffaws the Mojave's armored vehicle division moves out after their leader.


	12. Vehicular Homicide

They drove through the desert in a tight formation; the hum of plasma and laser batteries coming to life could be heard over the sound of sand under tires. Soon they drove over the Hoover dam and through the mountains into the ECZ. The eastern colonization zone was an area of about a hundred miles extending from the eastern bank of the Colorado River to its western bank as the river curved southeast. The Mojave forces had taken the territory from the legion remnants two years ago and had slowly begun moving people eastward to accommodate the influx in immigration. Twenty Mojave communities existed within the zone and three were in the direct path of the legion convoy. The personnel carriers were prepped and ready to evacuate all they could before fortifying the towns against the oncoming Legion raiding party. As they passed through the communities the personnel carriers dropped off and began their work loading civilians into the carriers before setting up energy barricades and taking positions to defend the buildings.

As they drove into the empty wastes beyond the communities Rex reached into his duster and withdrew a small silver locket and wrapped its chain around his hand and touched it to his forehead, before returning it to one of his duster pockets.

"Good luck charm?" Shepard asks from the back of the car.

Rex looks at Shepard in the rearview "It was my mother's; when I was a kid and she'd hug me whenever I got my ass kicked, the damn thing would press always into my forehead. It's become a ritual before I go into a fight; I press against my forehead, reminds me of safer days."

"Never took you for the nostalgic type" Shepard says loading her submachine gun and stowing extra clips on her belt.

Rex just laughs and lights another cigarette.

"Reinforcements from the Southern and Northern securitron divisions have been diverted and the remains of the eastern have shored up the gap with back up securitrons from Big Mt." Veronica interrupts, her ear to a receiver "The personnel carriers are already evacuating the communities in the path of the convoy, and the barricades will be set up and fortified in twenty minutes."

"Good, Status on Boone and rex?" Rex asks stamping out his cigarette in an ash tray.

"Boone's been medevacked to the medical center in serious condition; he's sustained damage to his right arm and left leg they may have to amputate" Veronica says angrily "And rex is gone; that poor dog's internal systems and organs were fried before the brain case was smashed."

Rex scowled and drew his pistol "I think it's time to put these fuckers down."

"Rocketeers assume forward formation" Veronica orders into the speaker phone and eight vehicles move forward into a line of four on each side of Rex's vehicle "All other units form claw formation."

One of the soldiers in each hefted rocket launchers onto their shoulders and steadied themselves. The missile launchers emitted an audible beep as their missiles armed. The remaining armored vehicles behind Rex's split and moved into position creating a wide half circle as they went. Veronica readied plasma rifle and opened the window port.

"You know I hate using guns" Veronica says adjusting the firing speed "so much easier just to punch it."

"Well unless you can punch out a moving semi I think your options are a bit limited" Rex replies laughing.

They crested a hill and descended into a rocky valley. In the distance they saw the Legion convoy; three massive armored rigs sporting thick slabs of black armor with mounted gun emplacements equipped with fifty caliber machine guns. Rex looks to the north and sees a large group of securitrons speeding towards the Legion while their counterparts to the south did the same. Already he could see them readying their missile systems and figured they'd be n range in less than a minute.

"Rocketeers ready your weapons" Rex's voice booms out of the loud speakers. The men take aim at the three Semis. Thirty seconds later and Rex yells "Fire."

The two legions of securitrons fire a volley of missiles at the sides of the semis, and at the same time the rocketeers fire their anti-armor missiles into the front of the three armored trucks. The smaller vehicles manage to swerve away and avoid the volley, but the trucks weren't as lucky, the front of the closest truck was shredded by the massive explosion causing it to topple into its counterparts which were sent sprawling and collided into each other in a mass of metal and flame. The smaller vehicles resumed their formation and increased their speed as they were enclosed by the half circle in the claw of the Mojave vehicle's formation and the oncoming securitrons to their sides.

Machine gun fire ricocheted off the armored fronts of the Mojave vehicles as they returned fire. Volleys of plasma and concentrated beams of red laser light collided with the vehicles ripping at the armor and making the metal go red hot. The two forces met and collided as some of the Legion vehicles crashed into the Mojave's but most swerved around each other, as they did Rex took out his pistol and fired into the neck of a Legion gunner. While ED-E fires a concentrated laser blast into the side of a vehicle exposing the driver and Jack fires her shot gun into the newly exposed driver causing the vehicle to swerve and crash into another Legion vehicle. Shepard opened a hatch on the roof of the vehicle and fires concentrated burst into the side of the vehicle bursting its back tire, while Veronica blasted plasma into the side a vehicle burning through the armored window and melting through it blanketing the driver with plasma.

They emerge on the other side of the fray and Rex cranks the wheel sliding across the sand before going into a U-turn while ED-E fires concentrated bursts of laser fire into the backs of the other vehicles cutting through their armor and exposing weakened metal. The Mojave forces were routing the Legion forces. Out of the dozen and a half Legion vehicles only a half dozen vehicles remained, the legion was still fighting hard though. In the middle of the battlefield a Mojave vehicle engaging a legion vehicle. The Legion gunner aims it gun and fires breaking through the armor of the Mojave vehicle spattering the interior with blood as the vehicle swerved and crashed into a rock.

Rex gunned the engine and pulled up beside the Legion vehicle which immediately began firing at Rex's vehicle. He drew his gun and began firing into the side window alongside ED-E's laser fire killing the driver and the passenger before slamming his vehicle into the side of the enemy vehicle causing the car to tip and slam into a rock flinging the gunner out and across the hard desert ground. Rex looked and saw one of the remaining Legion vehicles darting around the edge of the battlefield; the car was larger and more heavily armored and lacked a dedicated rifle mount. Glints of light emanated from slits on the side of the car as it fired into the Mojave vehicles on the battle field proper. Probably the commander Rex thought as he hit the gas and sprung forward flinging Shepard back into her seat where she strapped herself in. ED-E fired into the vehicle chipping away at the armor before a hatch opens and a grenade flies through the air, and then explodes next to a wheel shredding the rubber and causing Rex's vehicle to lean and roll before colliding with the Legion vehicle briefly before toppling through the sand.

When they stopped their roll, Rex was upside down and hanging from his seat by the straps. He turns his head and see's Veronica unconsciousness in the passenger seat hanging from her seat. Rex hears grumbling from the back and turns his head enough to see Jack groggily moving her arms around and Shepard hanging from her seat, unconscious. He unclasps himself thudding against the roof of the vehicle and crawls out of the twisted wreck. He tries to stand, bracing himself against the vehicle's side with his right arm and with his metal arm tries to grab for a stimpack in his duster but he falls to the ground after his arm gives way. His arm was bent in an unnatural direction, broken. His metal arm crushes the stimpack as he falls into the sand with a thump. From the ground he looks up and sees ED-E pinned under the laser turret ten feet away beeping rapidly and erratically as the turret's servos sparked and sputtered. Rex could feel blood flowing from a gash on his forehead into the sand near his face; he turns around and lies on his back before sitting up and crawling towards the wreck of his vehicle. When he reached it he turned around and sat against the car and tried to open Jack's door to pull her out when he spots movement from the legion command vehicle.

A figure emerges from the vehicle, a tall and muscular woman almost Amazonian in proportion, wearing red legion battle armor and a smooth black featureless mask. She seemed relatively unharmed having emerged from the undamaged side of the vehicle. She wipes blood off her mask and stretches before she looks towards Rex and draws a shining chrome sub-machine gun from a holster at her side. Rex reaches for his pistol and finds an empty holster; he looks behind him and sees the gun next the unconscious Veronica's hand.

"Ver…Vero…Veronica" Rex calls out in a hoarse voice as the woman slowly begins walking towards him oblivious to the battle still playing out around her.

"Ughm…ugh" Veronica whimpers from the passenger seat.

"Gun…slide me my gun" Rex croaks as the woman steps in front of him looking him over; She towered over him and must have been at least 6"11' "Now, now, now"

The woman grabs him by the neck and lifts him up with ease. She looks at him through the mask for a moment and holsters the gun before she touches the gash on Rex's face sending a bolt of pain through Rex. He yells out in pain and starts blindly punching the woman. His metal fist collides with the woman's stomach and she barely registers his attack. She removes her fingers and rubs her fingers together examining the blood. Rex spits blood onto the woman's mask before trying to claw it off with his metal hand before fatigue hits him causing him to go limp. He was almost at his limit, and his vision was rapidly fading to black.

"Stay awake Courier" The woman says tapping Rex's forehead before reaching into a pack on her belt and injecting a stimpack into his neck "You probably have a concussion."

"Fuck you lady" Rex spits as he slaps at the woman with his broken arm.

"Now, now calm down child" The woman says as she runs her fingers along the edge of Rex's face.

"Who are you?" Rex asks shaking her off.

"The similarity is striking" The woman says ignoring him "A little thinner perhaps but otherwise..."

She spies a glint of silver hanging from the duster pocket, and picks up the small silver locket.

"Give that back" Rex says struggling and reaching for it with his metal arm. The woman holds him an arm's length away while she opens the locket with one hand. She looks at the lockets interior and audibly laughs before closing it, and placing it back in Rex's duster.

"Don't forget your past courier" She says pulling his face close to hers "It's what defines you and it is what will ultimately destroy you."

The ground next to them explodes and the woman looks behind Rex to see Jack sprawled on the ground half way outside the vehicle wielding her shotgun. Her face was cut and bruised and her the fingers of her left hand were bent at an unnatural angle, but she managed to fire off another shell. This time the woman dodged around the car still holding Rex by his neck. Where Shepard waited with her gun trained on the woman.

"Put him down, now" Shepard ordered.

The woman throws Rex into Shepard and withdraws a small disk before throwing it on the ground causing the release of thick black smoke. When the smoke clears the woman is gone and Rex lies in near unconsciousness in Shepard's arms. She lays him down and loos around the area spotting the woman In the back of the sole remaining Legion vehicle as it speeds away. Three of the remaining Mojave vehicles drive off in pursuit alongside a handful of securitrons. Shepard squats down and wakes Rex up.

"Hey don't go to sleep" Shepard says lightly shaking Rex.

"Yeah, yeah just a few more minutes Veronica" Rex says drowsily "I've had a long day."

"Stay awake I need to get the others out" Shepard says moving to unclasp Veronica and carefully removed her from the car and placed her next to Rex who slumped towards her for a moment and then drowsily supports her as she slumps into his side. Shepard then walks over and finds Jack dragging her self away from the wreck with her good arm.

"Need some help?" Shepard says leaning down to help Jack to her feet and then helps her to where the others sat.

Rex had injected himself with a blood pack and another stimpack from a first aid kit from ED-E and was currently trying to rouse Veronica. ED-E had freed itself from the turret and was currently floating around Rex and Veronica emitting concerned beeps as it did. Rex's eyes were still glassy, but he seemed slightly more lucid than he was a few minute ago. Veronica was awake now too and was rubbing her head with tired look in her eyes.

"Next time I'll drive" Shepard says placing Jack next to Rex.

"By all means" Rex says injecting another stimpack into his broken arm "help me set this"

She helps him set the arm (with several colorful curses uttered by the both of them) and thanks to the stimpack his arm was mostly healed but still fragile. The cut on his face healed too in a fresh pink scar across his right temple. He tries to stand, but clunks back down dizzy.

"I'll get up in a few minutes" Rex says lighting a cigarette as a soldier walks towards them "Sir, are you and Miss Santangelo alright sir?"

"Yes we're fine" Rex says "Status report."

"We lost two vehicles with three causalities and nine injured sir" The soldier explains "the enemy's been all but wiped out with one vehicle and their commander retreating; we have a squad in pursuit."

"Good job" Rex says saluting from the ground "Tell the men to prepare the dead for transport and get some rest before we head back to New Vegas."

"Yes sir" The soldier says saluting.

Rex sits back as Shepard sits beside Jack and the quartet looks out across the smoking battlefield towards New Vegas.

?

Alyssa sat in the cool meeting room surrounded by other Mojave community leaders awaiting news from the front. She and the other leaders had been called into the secret meeting place under the Lucky 38 shortly after the assault began as the Mojave went into lock down. The other leaders stared at her as they chatted and discussed what was going on. Though they generally ignored her for the most part as status reports came in and aides brought newcomers up to speed. Alyssa had locked down New Columbia after word of the attack reached them.

She and her people had settled in what was once Nipton three days ago and were already settling in. Even though new housing was built shortly after the Second battle of Hoover Dam most people remained cautious of the area considering its history, but after two years of inactivity the cluster of homes, storehouses, and municipal buildings were finally alive again. Thanks to the amazing construction drones helping with construction and repair of homes the small community was set to thrive.

The capital wasteland survivors had buried themselves in work and tried to keep the pain of losing their home out of their minds. All that mattered now was making sure they could live their lives safely. They had to move on and adapt as they had always done, and adapt they would. A green house and several fields had already been set up and would soon be yielding fruits and vegetables while the various skilled workers were commuting across the Mojave to work for the government or private businesses.

Lost in thought Alyssa barely noticed Rex walking into the room nursing his right arm wrapped in a brace. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he sat down and gestured for Veronica to sit beside him. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the table looking at the assembled leaders and sighs stamping his cigarette out into an ashtray.

"Two hours ago the Legion sent an armed vehicle unit to assault one of the incomplete areas of the eastern wall project, we lost eleven soldiers and Boone our eastern commander suffered massive damage to his limbs" Rex explains lighting another cigarette "I took the third vehicle division to attack them and we lost three more plus three vehicles."

The men and women around the table process the information for a moment before Sylas Reger, a small man with deeply tanned skin and white hair, stood:

"How'd this happen? I thought the eastern barrier was almost complete."

"They hit an exposed outpost near the center where the wall is still being constructed" Rex explains "We never anticipated they'd have vehicles in an organized force, and our borders forces were equipped with antipersonnel weaponry."

"Can we expect another attack?"

"This is the third Legion attack in less than a month I wouldn't rule it out, but we also have another problem" Rex says taking a long drag of his cigarette "we have evidence that points to NCR involvement in the Legion's first attack on the strip as well as the reports of anti-Mojave rhetoric from the NCR."

"Impossible the NCR what reason would the NCR have to work with the legion?" Gloria Venk, the leader of the eastern community of Glory "They were actively fighting them two years ago."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" Veronica says "we gave the NCR a black eye two years ago and they haven't forgotten it. If our information about what's going on in the NCR is correct there's a massive demand for retribution against the Mojave after we took the Dam from them and most don't like that we supply almost all of their goods and industrial materials."

"It's possible they're trying to get the Legion into a prolonged fight with us and when it's all over they kill the weekend victor and annex the Mojave and her eastern territories" Alyssa says speaking up causing everyone in the room to look at her.

"Exactly" Rex says "We have to consider the NCR an active enemy in this fight especially the military forces led by General Voorhees."

"We have reason to believe that most of the animosity towards us is being generated through rallies run by agents of the General." Veronica explains.

"Is there any possibility of a military takeover of the NCR?"

"It's possible" Rex says "We know most of the government is for our alliance, but a fringe group backed up by Voorhees is gaining traction amongst the public."

"What plans do we have to combat the New Legion?"

"The Midwest Brotherhood is already fighting them to hold the territory and we believe that right now the Legion is occupied with them" Veronica explains "Once the eastern wall is completed and manned we'll start sending scouting parties east to track down Legion camps."

"I say we go on the offensive" Brent Buxton, a large man with a crooked nose, said slamming his fist on the table "We have a standing force of three thousand not counting the securitrons and support staff I think we can take them."

"You forget that those soldiers are scattered across the Mojave amongst the communities protecting the other twelve thousand souls trying to make a living here" Sylas pipes up from his seat "Our army is barely more than a militia, albeit a highly trained one, but we're fragmented across the entire Mojave, and if we move them out there's no one to protect our ass from the NCR."

"As of this moment we need to focus on defending ourselves from both threats" Rex says standing "Right now we can't afford a massive campaign we simply don't have man power even with the securitrons and vehicles."

"Then I propose a draft be initiated" Buxton says "Any able bodied individual should be given a gun and marching orders."

"We don't want to give the NCR reason to attack us" Veronica says "If they see us bulking up our military power they'll say were prepping to attack them and have the perfect excuse to attack."

"Let them try, they don't have the man power either especially with our securitrons and other defenses" Buxton replies staring Veronica down "We can destroy any force they send our way once they move against us."

"I'd rather not start a war with our neighbors if we can help it" Rex says looking at Buxton, his intense grey eyes locked with the fat man's sending a shiver down Buxton's spine "Regardless of the NCR we can't make a sustained offensive into the east for two reasons: Land and numbers, There's a massive amount of empty space between our borders and the Midwest brotherhood that the Legion has had years to acquaint themselves with and if we assume the New Legion has absorbed the fragments of the old, which it has, then its forces outnumber us 3/1."

"Rex is right we need to focus on shoring up our own defenses as well as making sure the populace stays calm" Gloria Venk says "The eastern communities are in the direct path of an invasion and we need to make certain that our people are safe before we begin to even think about a sustained offensive."

"Cowards" Buxton says standing "If we don't counter attack now the Legion will rally around our weakness."

"That's exactly what our enemies want Buxton, if we waste time attacking the Legion the NCR is free to do whatever the hell it wants to the east" Rex says rubbing his left temple with one hand and tapping ash into the tray with the other "This attack was an attempt to see if they can break our defenses and to lure our attention towards them on a goose chase throughout the eastern wastes."

"Right now defense is the best offense" Veronica says.

"Trust me, we'll have revenge for our dead soon enough, but for now we need to focus on keeping our living safe and calm." Rex says addressing the table "And Buxton I don't want to see that "elite" special Militia of yours make a move across the eastern border without a signed order from me."

"Fine, I guess I can hold the boys off." Buxton says resigned.

"Good, I want reports detailing the security and evacuation plans of each community on my desk by tomorrow morning" Rex says inhaling the last of his cigarette "Once the wall is finished I'm going to start building defensive walls around each eastern community along with a secondary wall across the east to act as a buffer, any objections?"

When no one objected he continued "We're prepping the eastern border for construction as well and soon we'll be running communication lines to the outposts as well as installing automated defense systems where we can't stage regular patrols. In the coming weeks and months I want everyone to do all they can to secure and maintain their communities as well as the Mojave because I can assure you we have a long road ahead of us."

"Alright everyone please take your briefing packets on the way out" Veronica says to the group motioning for the guards to guide the collected leaders out as the exhausted Rex slumps back into his chair lighting another cigarette as he falls.

"Hold up now" Buxton says "We still have another matter to discuss two actually the first begin the load of refugees you've taken and given Nipton and that load of actual aliens you've been allowing to do as they please all over the Mojave."

"I wasn't aware I needed your permission to extend hospitality to paying guests or offering asylum to skilled individuals in need of a new home" Rex says stoically staring at Buxton.

"Erhm, well it seems there's a lot of risk taking these strays in like this" Buxton says averting his gaze.

"Keep in mind we're being reimbursed greatly by both parties and I have seen to it that they pose no threats to our overall security" Rex replies taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing smoke rings "and I really don't appreciate the term "stray" after all I was just a wanderer before I came to the Mojave, and if I remember correctly weren't you a traveling salesmen before you got voted in by the kind people of Serenity?"

"Point taken Rex I'll get the boys together and make sure the construction goes off without a hitch" Buxton says backing away from the table before walking out of the room.

The other leaders followed out after him chatting amongst themselves as they flipped through the briefing reports. Alyssa stood too and looked towards Rex who was silently sitting and smoking his cigarette with his eyes closed. He looked tired and beat up with several bruises all along his neck and a fresh scar on his right temple. His eyes locked with hers and he nodded:

"Hello Alyssa" Rex says his grey eyes softening "How are your people settling in?"

"We're doing fine, Thank you for this and everything you've done" Alyssa says rising "If you need us we'll be ready; we aren't afraid to pull our weight."

"Thank you" Rex says stamping out his cigarette "We're happy to have you here regardless of what some say and I look forward to what the people of New Columbia can do."

"Thank you" Alyssa says "I really have to get back Sarah and my assistant Sally will be needing me."

"No rest for the wicked" Rex says standing "Give me a call if you need anything."

"Will do" Alyssa says walking out of the room. When she was outside she let out a breath and looked back to see Rex looking away towards a display on the wall. She wasn't comfortable around Rex mainly due to the aura he gave off whenever she talked to him. On the surface he was charming and talkative even if he was a bit cold, but you could feel a dangerous almost predatory nature lurking underneath the courtesy and false smile. She couldn't put her finger on it but whenever Rex wasn't being directly observed he seemed to carry himself differently and was even more expressionless than his normal aloof expression.

When she exited the underground bunker through the back exit she took in the fresh air and began to make the walk to the bus station.

/?

The next morning Rex dragged himself out of bed and cleaned up before getting dressed and taking a transport to the small shack wedged into the side of a mountain. He places his hand on a small pad near the door and the door opens with a click. Rex walks into the cool dark interior of the shack and closes the door behind him before walking to the other side of the room where a bookshelf sits against the wall stocked with thick leather bound books. He takes one book from its place and replaces it with another form lower down on the shelf before reaching up and pressing a switch on the top of the shelf. The bookshelf slid sideways across the floor and reveled a stairway lit with sterile light from a single bulb. HE descends the stairs into a long hallway lined with rooms filled with guards and equipment. Rex walks down the hall lighting a cigarette as he goes nodding to a soldier guarding a thick black door at the end of the hall, the soldier opened the door and Rex walked through. He emerged into a large open room in the shape of a rectangle with a variety of testing and recording equipment in the center while the walls were lined with cells.

The personnel in this room wore grey uniforms and each flipped through records as they monitored the inhabitants of the cells with listening devices and small cameras. The warden of the black site, Tobias Cobb, saw Rex and motioned him over to his station in front of a much more heavily armored.

"How's our new guest?" Rex asks shaking the man's hand.

"Her nerves in both legs have been warped and fried and even with the stimpaks she's suffered permanent nerve damage leaving her crippled" Tobias says running a hand through his thin black hair "She's a fighter though, we've had three personnel sent to the infirmary in the last week."

"What have we gotten from her with the Mesmetron?" Rex asks.

"Nothing" Tobias replies "She has some kind of natural lenses in her eyes that protect her from the effects of the Mesmer."

"What? I've never heard of that kind of mutation." Rex says handing Tobias a cigarette and lighting it cigarette.

"We think she's been modified somehow" The warden explains as he takes a drag from his cig "I'd like to have a look at her blood, see if anything is different on a genetic level, with some of that new medical tech you've secured from those aliens."

"Get the samples to the medical center as soon as possible, what have we been feeding her?"

"Nutrient paste and distilled water"

"Let me make a call I might have a way to get her to talk" Rex says walking to a phone.

"How?" Tobias asks.

"You catch more flies with honey than vinegar." Rex says as the connection goes through.

An hour later an insulated container arrives at the black site and Rex carries it into the would-be assassin's cell. When he enters the woman glares from her chair on the other side of a small metal table the guards had set up in the cell. Rex places the container on the table and removes the lid revealing two covered plates, a six pack of frosty Nuca Colas, and silverware. Rex grabs both plates and places one in front of the woman and one on his side of the table.

HE places a fork and knife next to each plate and places his gun on the table an opens the plate revealing thick juicy steak, boiled potatoes and off the cob corn. Rex takes the knife and begins cutting his steak and popped the lid of a Cola and slid it across the table to the woman who glared in silence.

"I figured you might want something a little more flavorful than nutrient paste" Rex says examining the woman.

He hadn't taken a good look at her during or after the attack and now he examined the woman closely. Her face had a softness to it that seemed contradict the vicious cold look in her eyes. She had chestnut hair and a multitude of light scars all over her face and neck and green grey eyes. Rex couldn't quite place it but the woman felt familiar somehow; he put it out of his mind just as the woman made a lunge for his neck with the knife.

Rex grabbed his weapon had the muzzle against her chin and she stopped in place. The blade was only a half inch from his throat.

"Sit back down and eat, girl" Rex says steely eyed.

The woman retreats and Rex notices her eyes glossed over in grey smoke then they became Grey-green again. She opens her plate and begins to eat the food all the while glaring at Rex.

"I want you to talk to me" Rex says taking a bight of steak "I want to know a few things?"

"You may ask your question but I will not answer" The woman says.

"Okay, let's start small, what's your name?" Rex asks.

"I have no name; I am the shadow hand of Octavian"

"Sounds important" Rex says popping the cap of a Nuca-cola.

"I don't expect you to know the importance of my role swine" the woman says scowling "How could you know? You are nothing compared Octavian, he will come for me and burn you and your pathetic nation to the ground."

"If I had a cap for every time a woman threatened to burn my life down" Rex says chuckling "I'm not afraid of your Octavian or you, but I believe you could be very useful to me especially if you're as valuable as you say."

"I'll never help you" the woman says pushing the plate forward.

"We'll see my little nightingale" Rex says winking and waving two guards in and having the plates taken away.

The woman winces as the remark forces her to remember the night he destroyed her legs, and Rex rises and leaves the room and the woman silent. Tobias sits at a desk going over paperwork and reports of the other few prisoners.

"Make sure she gets real food" Rex orders as he lights a cigarette.

"Why?" Tobias asks looking up from his paper work.

"She might serve a use" Rex says "I'd like to get a legion assassin on our side, and if what she says is true then the information in her head is valuable."

"Whatever you say boss" Tobias says returning to his paper work.

Rex begins his walk and as he does something falls into place within his mind. Like a gust of chilled air he remembered another girl with grey-green eyes. A girl with shocks of red hair and a tendency to hum. He stops before reaching the exit door and looks back towards the main holding area.

"First the ghosts in my head now I'm projecting her onto random assassins" Rex mumbled under his breath as he turned and left the bunker "I really am going crazy."


	13. Date Night

Jack sat in the darkness of her room with her head against the back of the wall listening to the sounds of the Hotel's boiler. She had taken a room in the lower levels of the Tops near the casino's heart. The only people that bothered her here was the staff who generally ignored her presence to smooze on the other Normandy crew members. Jack liked it that way.

She rose from the bed and dressed taking care of her still recuperating hand. Recently she had taken to wearing a skin tight black sleeveless shirt around the Mojave instead of her usual leather straps. This like a lot things lately had been at Shepard's suggestion. Jack didn't like to admit it, but Shepard's opinions carried weight considering she was the only person who trusted Jack in the beginning. The other members of the Normandy's crew had begun to trust and interact with Jack regularly, but there was still a bit of distance between them. So for now at least Shepard was her closest friend, even if she was a young woman scout.

Jack exited he room and made her way through the Tops and out onto the Strip before heading out towards the small restaurant a few blocks down from the tops. She sat at a table and ordered some breakfast and a mug of black coffee, as she thumbs through a newspaper the last diner had left behind. The battle with the Legion was the front page story and displayed a picture of Rex smoking a cigarette as he stood atop a wrecked Legion vehicle. As she scanned through the article she also found a picture of Rex consoling a young woman and child with the caption:

"The courier still sporting wounds from the battle takes the time to console the family of one of our fallen soldiers."

"Consoling a grieving widow perfect moment for a fucking photo op" Jack says laughing bitterly as her breakfast arrives; unfortunately so does the cheerleader.

"Hello Jack I hope your hand is healing nicely" Miranda says sitting down across from Jack.

"It's fine" Jack says taking a bite of her eggs and sausage "What do you want?"

"Jack, I have something to ask you" Miranda says eyeing assortment of food on Jack's plate.

"Oh so now you're being pleasant because you want something" Jack says slicing into an egg.

"As much I hate to admit I am at an extreme disadvantage considering my lack of resources, and that Rex's refusal to allow access to his information network." Miranda says ordering coffee "I hate being uninformed and you are in a unique position to influence my access."

"OH, so that's what this is about" Jack says scowling "You want me to bat my eyelashes, lie on my back and whisper sweet nothings to Rex until it gets you access."

"Oh come on Jack I didn't say go that far, but Rex is obviously interested in you and I need access to his network" Miranda says scowling back "It's imperative that we know what this legion is planning as well as what Rex is planning for us; he must have something in his home, a remote connection perhaps."

Miranda pulls out a small grey piece of metal from her pack.

"This is a transceiver that's modified to tap into local signals and networks, just place it on his terminal and I will have complete access after it connects my terminal to his" Miranda says placing device on the table beneath a napkin.

Jack picks the device up and not for the first time wished she had her biotic abilities before crushing the device in her hands "have someone else do your spying yourself Cheerleader."

"Jack you need to work with me for once" Miranda says standing up "These people are just waiting for the moment to turn on us."

She leaves the diner and Jack suddenly lacking appetite place some caps on the table and leaves the diner and starts walking back towards the Tops. As she reaches the door she sees a glint of red from atop Rex's home and sees Rex sitting on the edge of the roof smoking as he poured a shining thermos into a cup. He was reading a newspaper as he smoked and drank coffee and had his legs dangling off the edge of the roof. People walked by nervously glancing in his direction and hurrying away when they caught sight of him. He wore black pants, a tank top, and his holstered gun strapped to his side and his red tinted goggles atop his head glinting in the sunlight. He really is skinny she thought as she walked closer. Jack looked around and noticed the three soldiers nervously marching around the Strip as their leader sat exposed.

Jack finished her walk down the Strip and stopped in front of Rex's home and yells:

"I don't know if you're brave or fucking stupid"

Rex looks up from his newspaper and smiles down at Jack before waving and disappearing. About a minute later he reappears through the main door of the workshop.

"Morning Jack, how's the hand doing?" Rex asks.

"I can move my fingers again so that's a big fucking improvement" She replies actually looking at him for a moment. He wasn't skinny as much as lean with obvious muscle underneath the tank top.

"Good, I've been meaning to thank you and your crewmates for helping in the fight" Rex says tossing his depleted cigarette into a trash can "Actually I'd like to thank you personally, say dinner at my place?"

Jack looks at him for a moment before saying "What's your game with me, huh? You keep asking after me and don't think I haven't noticed those looks you keep flashing me. If this is about getting me in the sac just say so."

"You think this is about sex? Jack if I wanted some tail all I'd have to do is tell a few war stories at the Bar and I'd have casino bimbos hanging off me like leeches" Rex says chuckling then he moves towards Jack and walks in a circle around her "Don't get me wrong Jack I find you attractive, very attractive in fact, but that's not why I'm interested in you."

"Then what is it? If it's some white knight bullshit then I don't need your help and I sure as hell don't need your pity" Jack says pivoting to keep her front to Rex.

"I have no interest in fixing or saving you Rex" Rex says stopping by his door "I don't want to give you something you don't want or need; I just want to see what makes you tick and maybe just maybe.." He leans in close his face just inches from hers "… I want to show you the real me."

"What if I don't give a shit?" Jack asks not backing away.

"I don't think that's the case" Rex says backing into his doorway "I think you're interested in me too"

"Don't flatter yourself carrot top" Jack says flipping him off.

"Be back here at, say, seven" Rex says backing into the darkness of his shop entryway "Don't worry about dressing up and come hungry."

The door closes behind him leaving Jack standing on the street.

?

"Then he tells me to be there at seven" Jack says relentlessly punching the hanging punching bag "Fucker's confident isn't he?"

They were working out in one of the warehouses where the Normandy's crew had set up a small base of operations.

"Sounds like it" Shepard says holding the bag "You gonna go?"

"Ugh yeah probably" Jack says finishing her barrage "At the very least I'll get a free dinner out of it"

"So what do you think of him?" Shepard asks as they switch positions "could you see yourself being with him?"

"What kind of question is that?" Jack asks bracing against Shepard's barrage of punches "I don't know you know this isn't exactly my fucking area of expertise"

"Well he seems to be genuinely interested in you" Shepard says releasing another few punches before pivoting and kicking the bag "I mean you could do worse, and while we're here you might as well try to enjoy yourself."

"I have been enjoying myself" Jack says "I'm all for a quick fuck and everything that entails I just don't do the whole relationship thing".

"Maybe give it a shot" Shepard says placing her gloved hand on Jack's shoulder "I know what you've been through and I know how hard it is to try and open yourself up to someone, especially someone like Rex, but if you don't try you're never going to be happy."

"Thanks for the pep talk mom" Jack says sliding her hand and flipping her off.

"Anyway I'm pretty sure Veronica would rip his balls off if he ever hurt you or any woman" Shepard says laughing "but in all seriousness I think you two would make a good match."

"Why do you say that?" Jack asks with a skeptical look on her face.

"Like you said he's damaged it shows in how he moves and the way he talks to people" Shepard says "He's got this aura around him that screams dangerous, but he's not all bad, kind of reminds me of someone actually."

"Fuck off" Jack stripping off her sparring gloves.

"All I'm saying is give him a chance Jack" Shepard says wiping sweat from her brow "Maybe it'll do you both some good."

Jack thinks for a moment "You're right I'll give carrot top a chance"

"Good" Shepard says sitting down on a crate "So, how are adjusting to being a lowly mortal"

"It's shit" Jack says sitting beside her "My whole life I have this power that I thought made me strong now it's gone and I realize it was a crutch, how the fuck did you survive all the shit thrown at you?"

"Lots of grenades and ammo types" Shepard says chuckling "and I did die remember."

"Hey if you can do it for your whole life girl scout I can do it for a few weeks." Jack says.

A Normandy crewmen approaches the pair and salutes Shepard before saying:

"Ma'am Kenneth and Gabby need to see you ASAP"

"Alright I'll head over there immediately" Shepard saluting the crewmen before turning to Jack and tossing her a silver hundred cap coin and winks "I'll go handle this, you go and buy something nice to wear for your date."

Jack flips her off but takes the coin and places it in her pocket any way.

"Really I'm proud of you putting yourself out there like this" Shepard says.

"Whatever girl scout" Jack says as they parts and she begins walking back to the Tops to shower off.

?/?/?/?

Later that day Jack walked down the street and looked into the multitude of clothing stores at the selection of clothing and accessories. She felt like she had stepped back in time to one of those old classical movies with all the old fashioned clothing design.

"Why the fuck am I even here?" Jack mutters to herself. She had come here on a whim and was almost immediately regretting it. She didn't need to get dolled up for Rex, she didn't need to get dolled up for anyone.

"Shepard's good girl nature has to be rubbing off on me" Jack says turning to go back to the hotel and runs into Tali, sending the young woman to the ground.

"Oh, Keelah Jack watch where you're going will you" Tali says sitting up.

"You watch where you're going" Jack says offering a hand and helping the qaurian up "What are you doing here I thought you and Mordin were trying to fix the device."

"We are, Shepard ordered us to take a few days off" Tali says brushing dust of her suit "So I decided to do some shopping."

"Why are you in the clothing district?" Jack asks gesturing to Tali's suit "Isn't the suit the only clothing you wear? Planning on going sunning or something"

"Yes it is usually" Tali says "Sometimes we graft fabric and other materials to add decoration to our suits for special occasions and the like."

"What's the special occasion?" Jack asks kind of amused now.

"Oh nothing I'm just having dinner with someone" Tali says "nothing to serious but I'd like to look nice for my date."

"Why bother whoever it is they're just trying to get in your pants or uh suit I guess" Jack says rolling her eyes.

"That's not true" Tali says folding her arms "He's sweet and any way I'm not dressing up for him at least mostly not for him anyway, I'm dressing up a little because it feels nice to look good."

"Whatever I'll see you later Tali" Jack says walking away but Tali grabs her arm.

"Hey you have to tell me what you are you doing here Jack?" Tali asks.

Jack whips around and instinctively prepares a blast of biotic energy but stops herself an inch from Tali's mask remembering her biotic power was gone.

"Don't grab me like that" Jack hisses.

"Sorry" Tali says backing up a little "It's just I told you why I was here, what are you doing here?"

"I have a date tonight too." Jack replies.

"Keelah, you have a date?" Tali asks the lights of her eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes I have a date tonight is it so fucking hard to believe?" Jack replies scowling.

"No, it's just that you don't seem like the type to bother with dating" Tali says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack says her scowl getting deeper.

"You're just a direct person is what I meant." Tali says quickly.

"Yeah I'm little miss Direct" Jack says her scowl softening. She liked Tali to an extent, while the qaurian could be annoying at times she usually tried to be friendly with Jack in her quarters on the Normandy whenever Tali had to fix something in the lowest level.

"So who's the lucky guy?" Tali asks expectantly.

"If you wanna know you'll have to tell me yours" Jack says smiling.

"Well that's only fair I suppose" Tali says "If you want to know its Garrus."

"Whoa, you and Garrus" Jack says in disbelief "What brought that on?"

"Well you know we've been through a lot together hunting down Saren, and taking on the collectors, and now we're stuck here for the immediate future so why not" Tali replies.

"Well, whatever scratches your itch" Jack says chuckling "Just hope he knows how to calibrate more than just the main guns."

"Keelah, Jack I wasn't even thinking about that" Tali says lightly punching Jack's shoulder "Anyway it's just dinner."

"Yeah" Jack says laughing.

"Your turn" Tali says crossing her arms "Who are you spending the evening with."

"Rex" Jack says looking down the street.

"What?" Tali says once again stunned "He asked you to dinner? That's great. While you're eating can you ask him a few questions for me? Some of the tech in use around the Mojave is fascinating and some of it was designed by Rex and I'd love to pick his brain."

"No fucking way if you want to talk to him do it yourself" Jack replies.

"Fine I suppose I'll try to get a meeting with him tomorrow" Tali says uncrossing her arms.

"Whatever you say Tali" Jack says looking at the shops lining the street "Since you're here you might as well help me pick something to wear."

"Oh I'd love to" Tali says.

Jack stares at her for a moment and then gestures for Tali to follow her down the street.

/?

"Shepard I have bad news." Kenneth says handing Shepard a data pad "The Normandy will never fly again."

"I thought you said you could fix the superstructure" Shepard says looking over the data. They were in the storage hangar where the Normandy was being held.

"We could have if the superstructure wasn't warped on a molecular level" Gabby says as she types rapidly into a holographic panel "we think the wormhole that brought us here collapsed on top of us as we entered this universe, we're actually lucky to be alive."

"Aye if the Normandy's superstructure hadn't held we'd be mush" Kenneth says and shakes a little.

"What does this mean for EDI?" Shepard asks placing h data pad on a workbench.

"We can move her if we keep a steady supply of power to her blue box while it's in transit" Gabby says.

"Once she's moved out we can start scrapping the Normandy for useful parts" gabby says opening a holo-display of the Normandy "If we have too I think we could build another Normandy or at least something to get us through the wormhole."

"How long would it take to build a new Normandy?" Shepard asks.

"With what we have now, and considering we'll need to fabricate parts as well as production equipment, two years at least maybe four." Gabby replies

"We've been thinking Shepard; what if we designed a new Normandy with news weapons and defenses as well as a major upgrades to all of her systems" Kenneth says activating a new schematic "With some of the upgrades we've been designing as well as a few goodies from Cerberus's experimental research we can make the Normandy a force even the Reapers will think twice about crossing."

"If Mordin's right and that device that brought us here can travel through time as well as dimensional space we have all the time in the world to make these upgrades." Gabby says as the improved Normandy appeared on the display "She'll be about twice the size with loads of bells and whistles that won't hit the market for at least five years."

"I knew you two were great engineers but I never thought of you as shipwrights" Shepard says looking over the display.

"We know every nut, bolt, and wire in the Normandy and how they work together" Kenneth says smiling "with enough time and resources the old girl will fly faster and hit harder."

"And I of course will assist in the construction Shepard" EDI says appearing on the display "I have protocols and routines dedicated to construction and fabrication."

"Are you comfortable staying here for two to four years?" Shepard asks the two engineers "That's a hell of a commitment."

"Shepard you saved us from the collectors and for that you earned our loyalty" Kenneth says

"Yeah, and we know that the reapers are coming, and we want to help you fight them" Gabby says.

Shepard says nothing for a moment and looks at her engineers before turning to EDI:

"Are you really alright with this EDI? The transfer and our potential extended stay here"

"I am fine Shepard, as long as I am placed back within the Normandy new or old I will suffer no negative side effects." EDI's blue visage says "I can keep myself busy with the construction and fabrication and also direct workers."

"Alright, I want you three to begin work as soon as you can, but keep in mind once Mordin and Tali have the device working again I won't stop anyone from going home if they want to." Shepard says "I can't ask anyone to stay here against there will once an option to leave opens up."

"Of course commander" gabby and Kenneth says saluting before both he and Gabby return to their work with the schematic.

"EDI, send a message out to all of the crew about what's going on and tell them all I'll address them in the morning; tell them if they have any personal items still on the Normandy now's the time to grab them and get a crew together to transfer you a to a clean room." Shepard orders as turns to face EDI "And continue sending out transmissions on any frequency you can think of."

"Of course Shepard" EDI says before blinking out.

Shepard made for the door and rubbed her temples. She wanted to go back to her suite and crawl into bed with Thane and sleep the rest of the day away, but she had to check the lab where Mordin and Tali worked on the device. As she left the hangar she silently grumbled to herself that if those two were still there and not taking a break she'd drag them back to the strip.

?

Jack stepped out of the store and into the street dressed in her new clothes. She wore a white top that seemed to wrap around her mid-section and chest like an octopus showing off her tattoos and mid-section while still covering her chest. On top of that she wore a leather jacket, sleek and new, and she wore black pants fitted with a rigging holding her small hand gun as well as her shotgun and she wore black steel toed boots which were, like many things in the wasteland, designed to be functional but also look good.

She hated to admit it, but Tali had actually been useful when picking out her new clothes. They finally found a shop that tailored to Jacks tastes after walking through the main shopping area towards the newer and more liberal shops nestled in a back alley. Tali herself had found some items that she had the woman who owned the hop modify so that Tali could affix her suit with the interesting clothing. She had picked a kind of sundress that on a normal woman would have shown and almost ridiculous amount of skin, but on Tali it blended well with her suit almost as if the dress was a part of the suit and vice versa.

The Qaurian has left a few minutes before her as Jack paid for her clothing hurrying to her date. Jack started to head to Rex's home after making sure her old clothes would be delivered to the Tops. As she walked through the streets many people stared at her openly and Jack could hear their whispers. She flipped them the finger and continued her walk through the streets smirking as the sun began its slow setting. When she arrived at Rex's home Jack walked to the front door and just as she reached to open it she froze a chill running down her spine. Jack turns around and looks out into the street, almost deserted except for a hooded figure standing across the street his face obscured by his hood. She looks at the stranger for a moment and he raises his head his face partially revealed in the setting sunlight. She recognized the sharp features immediately, it was Rex, at least that's who it looked like.

"Hey what are you doing….?" Jack yells as a truck passes by and Rex disappears as it passes.

"What the fuck?" Jack mumbles under breath as the door opens behind her. She turns to see Rex standing behind her wiping his hands on an apron. He wore a black shirt and dark grey pants and had his hair combed back instead of slicked back with gel.

"Jack, you're little early" Rex says smiling "I almost have dinner ready, what are you doing standing in the street?"

"Nothing I just thought I saw something" Jack says turning around to stare at the empty curb.

"Oh, okay come in and make yourself comfortable I'll have dinner on the table in about ten minutes" Rex says walking back inside leaving the door open.

Jack shakes the feeling off and enters Rex's home. She walks into the main room and spies a small table set up with plates, silver ware and glasses set up in a smaller room to the side of the workshop. Sounds of pans being moved and dropped ring out from another room and Jack looks towards a workbench set up against a wall. She walks over to it and sees several detailed sketches of security mechs from her universe as well as several notes scribbled around the blueprints in chicken scratch. These are pretty good Jack thought as she flipped through the designs accidentally knocking over a tin full of pencils.

"Shit" Jack says managing to catch the tin before it hit the floor bending as she goes. Jack spies an old weathered sketch book marked Sketches age 14-19. She picks the old book up and begins thumbing through it. Most of the early sketches are of basic things like scorpions and iguanas but they showed some talent. Then it changed to people several of the sketches were of the same people a bony faced man wearing a sour frown, a smiling woman with a scar across her left eye, and a little girl with drawings of a town and various townsfolk along with a few self-portraits of a much younger Rex. Then the sketches suddenly stopped, having only taken up the first third of the book, giving way to new sketches of Brahmin hard faced men and women.

These sketches of endless wasteland and cows gave way to sketches of a young woman, not to pretty but attractive in that homey kind of way, with a scar across her face. The next third of the sketch book was dedicated to her it seemed as the drawings went from the young woman sitting in a chair to bending to pick something up to other sketches of her posing nude mixed amongst other shots.

"Who do we have here carrot top?" Jack says to herself

Jack noticed as she flipped through the drawings, nude and otherwise, that the young woman was gradually growing more and more pregnant until Jack came to three final pictures at the back of the book.

In the first the young woman was extremely pregnant seemingly sleeping on her back offering the artist a full view of her form draped in a maternity dress. She was surrounded by flowers and held a small book in her hands. The second picture was of the young woman smiling and holding a baby in her arms, but while the young woman seemed real and concrete while the child didn't, having been drawn like it was a lump of clay with only general features molded in. The third and final picture was of small rattle on a tabletop next to a small vase of desert flowers.

Jack placed the book down under the table again and stood quietly absorbing the possible context of the sketches. She knew what it was like to lose someone and if the story the sketches told was true Rex did too. It didn't make Jack like him more, but she felt she understood Rex's attitude and personality a little bit more. She turned towards the table and found Rex standing behind her his grey eyes softly staring at Jack.

"Enjoying my work?" Rex asks his face cold and hard.

"Yeah, sorry about that I was just looking around" Jack says backing off a little.

"No it's fine, I haven't opened that old thing for almost a decade now" Rex says smiling, his features warming up, and gesturing for Jack to follow him "I used to be quite the artist"

"Used to be?" Jack questions as they cross the work space to the dining room.

"I lost something very important to me" Rex says pulling her chair out for her.

"It was that woman wasn't it?" Jack asks sitting down.

"Yes, sort of, that day so long ago I lost something more" Rex says his back to Jack "I lost myself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asks knowing she stepped a little too far, but didn't want to back down now.

"Jack, do you know what a person can do if they're robbed of their happiness, their love, all that makes them a decent human being, twice?" Rex asks his voice low "I was a very bad man Jack I've done horrendous things to people, both good and bad, and I liked it." He looks at his hands and clenches them "I'm a monster Jack, and that's all I'll ever be. Truth is Jack you're not the one who needs help, it's me."

"Hey we've all lost shit in our lives" Jack says to his back Rex still not facing her "but I do understand carrot to… Rex why be human when it's easier being a monster."

"The wastes are a hard place to live" Rex says sighing and turning around to look at Jack "I'm sorry for going off like that it was inappropriate."

"No, its fine Rex" Jack says standing up to look him in the eyes and tenses for a moment "There was a guy a long time ago, Murtock, it was fun sex, biotic rampages, and felonies until he ruined it. Idiot got himself killed saving my ass on a job. I get to the ship he doesn't make I book it out of there, a few days later this message plays set up to play if he didn't make it out. It was all about how he and I were going to have a life together build a house on some out of the way world have a life together. So I know what it's like to have a future taken away from me"

"Misery likes company, I suppose" Rex says laughing bitterly.

"So what made you change?" Jack asks

"Nobody goes from being the bad guy to the inspirational leader everyone loves" Jack asks.

"That's a long story, but it ends with a bullet to the head and Veronica kicking my ass" Rex says laughing.

"Mine's kind of the same actually except Shepard broke me out of prison then recruited me for a suicide mission." Jack says returning Rex's laughter.

"Funny what letting people in can do huh" Rex says looking at Jack "I was a wreck then I met my friends and now we run a country."

"Yeah, and we blew up the collector base with no support crew" Jack says smirking.

"Oh, so were back to bragging about past exploits" Rex says his smiling.

"Hey someone has to lighten the mood for you carrot top" Jack says punching him in the arm.

"Alright, I hope you like stir fry" Rex says gesturing to the table "Cause if were trading war stories let me tell you about my time in the Sierra Madre."


	14. Chapter 14

Rex sat alone in his office staring intently at a small cream colored card in his hand. He flipped it over a few times in his hands as he smoked a cigarette examining the message written in the no nonsense handwriting of Colonel Moore. Morning sunlight shone through a window behind him casting golden light across the floor of his office and onto the dark monitor of the central computer. He places the card on his desk, leans back in his chair and sighs. He swivels his chair to look out into the wastes blocking the sun with his metallic left hand and sees a group of trucks leaving the city. They were carrying equipment, turrets and materials for the final segments of the eastern wall and its outposts. It had been six weeks since the attack, and the wall was nearing completion.

"Rex?" Veronica asks entering the room.

Rex swivels around to see Veronica standing there holding a clipboard.

"Morning Veronica" Rex says tapping his cigarette into an ash tray.

"Morning Rex, so what does the message say?" Veronica asks.

"Moore is demanding that we meet with her and a few delegates from the NCR to assess the threat from the Legion and hammer out new trade regulations" Rex says handing Veronica the note.

"Wow, she still hates you, doesn't she?" Veronica says reading over the message "this reads more like a death threat than a request for a meeting"

"Yeah, I don't think she's forgiven me for kicking her out of the dam" Rex says lighting a fresh cigarette "apparently she's planning to bring along members of the NCR's congress as well as military officials."

"Are we going to let her?" Veronica asks.

"Yes, I want to make sure we keep a good relationship with the NCR, even the parts of their government we don't like" Rex says taking the message from Veronica and filing it into one of his desk's many drawers.

"Good good" Veronica says looking around the room aimlessly as she nervously hummed.

"Go ahead and ask" Rex says rolling his eyes.

"How'd it go with Jack last night?"

"Fine, we went to one of those movies Joker's been playing down at one of the refurbished theaters" Rex says taking a drag from his cigarette "I preferred those star trek movies to the star wars he's been playing though, but Jack seemed to like them."

"And?" Veronica says expectantly.

"We didn't have sex if that's what you're asking" Rex says looking through his files for a document "I've been taking it slow with Jack. I want her to trust me; she's not some conquest."

"You're serious about this girl aren't you?" Veronica asks "In the two years I've known you have never been with someone longer than a week. Kind of refreshing actually."

"Maybe, it's been far too long since I've felt this way about anyone, not since Mirada" Rex says leaning back in his chair his face shifting into a dejected look "It feels nice, and maybe that's why it shouldn't go any farther for both our sakes."

"Oh come on Rex, you deserve to be happy" Veronica says sighing "what you did happened an eternity ago and you've more than made up for it."

"Have I? Will I ever do enough to redeem myself?" Rex says, his features hardening as he raises his hands to look at them "The people killed, the lives I've destroyed, all that I took away from the world, with these hands, won't be brought back no matter how hard I try; no matter what I restore there will still be people out there who know me as "the Crimson Gun" the man they paid to burn down towns kill mothers and fathers in front of their children. The man they watched destroy their lives."

"That man's dead, he died the night Benny shot you in the head" Veronica says walking behind the desk and grabbing a chair to sit in "the man I met two years ago wouldn't do those things today, no matter what he and his ghosts think."

"Sometimes I don't think he did" Rex says leaning back "I'm starting to slip Veronica. Every night it's the same, my ghosts come back and that rage returns, look what I did to Shepard, I punched her in the face and needlessly endangered her and Jack's life to show off."

"Well yeah I never said you had any since" Veronica says punching Rex in his metal arm "You're probably the dumbest smart person I know, and the only person I'd trust to watch my back. Now buck up and stop with the self-pity or I'll get ED-E to annoy you with that song you hate."

"Fine" Rex says chuckling "Where is E anyway? I haven't seen him since I installed that new blue box and memory disk."

"Oh yeah he's been palling around with that robot Legion" Veronica says getting up "The little guy's been lapping up data and from what I've heard has been trying to compute some quantum level math if Legion is telling the truth."

"Typical one day they're helping you kill bloatflies the next they're trying to crack the fundamental equations of the universe" Rex says "Where the hell has Legion been anyway? I barely caught sight of him when the Normandy and her crew arrived, but since then he hasn't been seen on the strip or anywhere else for that matter according to our newsmen."

"No Idea. ED-E says he found Legion in the old Helios one building examining what's left of the Archimedes control systems" Veronica replies "It still baffles me that you let that that terminal be destroyed, but apparently Legion put in a request to examine the design of the Archimedes satellite and maybe help us get the weapons system online again."

"Really? Give him clearance, but keep an eye on him" Rex says "And I didn't let that terminal be destroyed how was I supposed to know someone had rigged it with a pulse mine?"

"The fact that the last three had pulse grenades worked in" Veronica replies "I still remember your face when you failed that hack and the thing blew. How long did it take for your eyebrows to grow back again?'

"Shut up will you?" Rex says stamping out a cigarette when a chill runs down his spine and he looks forward into the empty area of his office "I don't think we're alone"

"What do you mean?" Veronica says going on alert.

Rex stands and draws his gun and a compact plasma pistol from a drawer aiming at the center of the room "You can come out now"

A man materializes in the center of the room. He wore a hooded grey duster with deep inlays of red and black and his face was obscured by the hood save for his chin and a pointy red beard. The grips of two shiny silver revolvers stick out of the duster and a composite piece of combat chest armor adorned the man's chest. He wore black plated pants with an array of blades and equipment and a pair of black combat boots adorned his feet. Behind this man a three other figures appeared seemingly out of nowhere standing in a line. At the center a hulking man adorned in red armor with a mane of dark black hair stood with the woman from the eastern battle wearing her black mask to his right and a young woman adorned in a red and black jump suit made of some kind glistening composite material to his left. The massive man spoke first:

"It appears your stealth boy designs still need some work Savant; the courier detected us far too easily"

"It was only a prototype Octavian; Father and I will adjust it appropriately for our next excursion" the young woman to his left said pouting "We are dealing with the courier after all."

"Regardless of his ability I demand the finest equipment and trust you will adjust accordingly" The man says with an evil sneer.

"Ah hello" Rex says aiming both his guns at the hooded man in front of him "Why are you in my office?"

"Oh, forgive me Courier, I am Octavian" The massive man says stepping past the hooded man to tower over Rex.

"So finally decided to try to kill me yourself?" Rex says pointing the laser gun at the massive man's head, realizing that it looked like he was aiming a peashooter at an elephant, and keeping his pistol trained on the hooded man.

"Oh no Courier, You have been deemed a worthy enemy and potential ally" the man says smiling his vicious smile.

"Let me be the first to tell you to fuck off; I'll never work for the legion" Rex says firing a blast of red laser light into the man's face and flipping his desk towards the man knocking the giant of his feet and Rex then fired his ten millimeter into the trio behind the man. The man apparently called Savant whips out his revolvers and effortlessly fires both at Rex and Veronica sending a bullet through Rex's metal arm and left shoulder as his own volley rips through the man's right shoulder and thuds into his chest piece. The young woman darts out the door drawing a small orange energy pistol and a tranq gun and before she fires a blast of blue energy out of the office towards Veronica's suite as the masked woman withdraws a dart gun and fires at Veronica. Rex tries to shield Veronica and is hit with three syringes filled with a brackish blue liquid. Veronica ducks behind the desk and grabs the pistol strapped to the side and begins firing at the attackers as Rex stumbles and falls against the window, his pupils dilated as the drug moves through his system turning his muscles to jelly.

A syringe hits Veronica in the left eye and she falls backward in pain screaming. Rex on the verge of passing out feebly croaks to Veronica and tries to raise his gun but stops short as the massive figure of Octavian rises from the floor and looks to Rex. His face was destroyed at least the skin was, underneath was a metallic face with servos and smoking wires. As Rex passes out the last thing he sees is the young woman grab the syringe from Veronica's eye in a trail of blood before shooting her in the arm with another syringe.

The massive form of Octavian picks Rex up and throws him over his shoulder before activating his Pipboy and disappearing the masked woman follows suit leaving Savant and the young woman standing in the office, alone.

"They put up more of a fight then we expected father" The woman says making sure Veronica was knocked out "at least we got one of the DNA samples we came for".

"More than you expected Persephone" Savant says "you must be ready for anything my dear daughter."

"I know father, I'm sorry" The woman says forlorn.

"Don't be, your mother was the same way when she was your age" the man says before looking to where Rex had lain just a moment before and grabbed the pistol from the floor before grabbing its mate off the wall "Regardless we have achieved our goal here, now let's go and retrieve your aunt."

They both activate their stealth boys disappearing silently leaving the ruined office silent and cold. In Veronica's suite Christine sat against the wall an energy burn across her left arm and syringe in her neck pumping the tranquilizer into her system, and just before she lost her battle with the drug she slammed her fist into the alarm button on the wall. Throughout the Mojave alarm bells rang and communities went into lockdown as each of Rex's companions receive a signal through the small transceivers on their persons.

Boone still recovering from his loss six weeks ago, lets the signal ring. Lily and Cass rush to a truck towards the Mojave, Raul orders his lackeys to take over for him and boards the elevator to the top of the dam. Arcade sits in the sink talking to Tyrone (Rex's brain) when he heard the call he flushed Tyrone to the command center and rushed after it activating the brain's special apparatus as he went. In the heart of Zion Joshua Graham finished loading one of his many guns and looked to the small communicator in his chamber, and straps his guns to his chest, side holsters, and leg holsters before activating the teleportation pad adjacent to his chamber and disappearing in a flash of blue.

Amongst the ruins of a forgotten city a nightkin sat watching a rad scorpion abdomen roast on a spit as he wiped blood from a wicked blade made from dark blue metal. His name was G.D, the product of the death of two voices he vaguely remembered. He vaguely remembered his old life or the strange ruin with the red clouds and green eyed ghosts, but one thing he remembered with absolute clarity. He remembered the Courier, the man that saved him from himself, and gave him the clothing on his back, the weapon in his hands, and a purpose he now upholds. His purpose was to use the echoes of hunger and the echoes of control within the deepest recesses of his mind to hunt all those who pose a threat to the Mojave. So here he sat cleaning the blood of a raider leader from his massive blade humming softly to himself as he waited for the rad scorpion to cook when the transceiver at his side began to ring its high pitched ring. The courier was calling.

In New Reno, a ghoul was diligently at work cracking a safe in the office of the Casino's owner when the small transceiver in the inner pocket of his tux began ringing. He quickly grabs the transceiver and silences it and hears the heavy steps of the guards entering the room. He quickly turns and presses a trigger button in left hand causing an explosion to rip through the floor under the guards and opening a hole in the wall leading out on the rooftop of the adjacent building. The ghoul ran across the roof top and press the switch again blowing out several power boxes on the roof covering his escape as he zig zagged down some scaffolding and into the street. When he was safe he pulled out the transceiver and sent the return signal before walking towards a burnt out garage where his car waited, a lovely replica of one he owned before the war, muttering curses as he walked. Dean Domino for a moment and not for the first time since he'd met the courier wished that he had stayed in the Sierra Madre.

?

"We need to find out where they went, now" Veronica exclaims as the last of the bandaging is wrapped around her head and eye. She stood in front of the high council of Community leaders with hundreds of aides, techs, soldiers, and assistants running equipment and messages throughout the building as the lockdown was coordinated.

"We're trying Ma'am" A soldier says "They're using some kind of modified stealth boy undetectable to any of our instruments and with little to know distortion."

"They can't have left our territory, unless they have a vehicle of some kind they'll be close" Christine says wearing a thick bandage over her badly burnt arm "We need to make sure all facilities are on lockdown; status report on the Dam and central power?"

"All locked down ma'am; we're seeing reports from all across the Mojave saying they're locked down but black sight Omega hasn't responded to our calls." An aide says displaying a holographic display of the Mojave in the center of the massive round table.

"Dispatch a unit of soldiers and securitrons immediately we can't risk any of those prisoners being freed" Veronica orders before turning to the collected leaders "As of now Rex is taking a vacation for some much needed R and R after the events of the last month and a half. Today was just a test of our emergency reaction procedures; we cannot allow the fact that Rex has been kidnapped go public at least until we get him back."

"Is that the wisest option right now?" Brent Buxton says standing "I don't think we should keep this from our people. They have a right to know"

"And cause panic across the Mojave? Rex is a legend to almost every single citizen of the Mojave if they learned he was attacked in his office for god's sake we'd send half the population into a panic and they'd lose trust in our ability to keep them safe."

"They have a right to know what's going on" Buxton says "Transparency is the best policy with my people, and they'll rightly pissed if they find out were lying to them."

"Oh grow up Buxton we need to keep this quiet for the good of the Mojave" Veronica says "Right now we're engaged in a war with two lunatics, one of which has an entire army of zealots on his side and the ability to sneak into our most protected zones. We need to stand together in this, and keep our people safe and as calm as possible."

"Regardless of whether we should tell the general populace of the attack, we need to find Rex and a way to counter act their advanced stealth boys" Alyssa says looking to Veronica as she stands "quite a few of my techs have experience with advanced stealth technologies. With your permission ma'am I'd like to pull them off project Zeta to find a way to detect them."

"Do it, as of now we are devoting all resources to developing counter measures to the legion stealth tech and any tricks they might have up their sleeves" Veronica says standing, she falters slightly as she does prompting Christine to stand to grab her, but Veronica waves her off "We can get through this if we stand united, and we don't do anything rash."

The council of leaders all agreed, even Buxton, and when the meeting was dismissed Alyssa approached Veronica:

"If you need any extra hands in the search for Rex, I'd be more than happy to help and my assistant Sally is one of the best stealth infiltrators out there"

"Thank you, but I wouldn't want to deprive New Colombia of its leader, but we will take Sally" veronica says smiling before wincing at the pain in her face "Rex's brain is trying to locate him, and an assault and recovery team is being put together to brake him out of where ever they have him."

"I tell Sally as soon as I get back to New Colombia, and if it's not classified who's heading up the Assault team?" Alyssa asks.

"I am, but Commander Shepard offered her help along with a few of her crew members along with the rest Rex's other companions" Veronica replies as a courier enters the room and hands her a message "Excuse me"

Veronica takes the message and reads it, her expression drooping.

"What's wrong?" Alyssa asks.

"Black site Omega has been compromised, the staff and all but one prisoner are dead" Veronica says slamming her fist on the table "They went after the assassin after kidnapping Rex, but why would they go to the trouble of attacking a fortified black site to retrieve a single assassin."

"Maybe she knew something important" Alyssa offers.

Veronica thought for a moment and remembered the obscured face of the man cloaked in the hooded duster and a revelation sent a shiver through her spine. She dashes over to a database terminal where the official records were kept and brought up the Assassin's lab data that had been collected and analyzed a week earlier, but had been shuffled behind several other proposals and documents on the list of priority for Rex's viewing. Veronica had scanned through it, but had paid it no heed apart from the genetic augmentations. Except for an oddity that she brushed off as inconsequential; the presence of hair dye in the Assassin's hair. Veronica pulled up the report and confirmed the dye's type; the kind of dye used to dye hair of intense or deep colors for long periods of time; specifically red hair.

?

Deep within a facility far to the east, Rex lay naked save for his underwear and unconscious strapped to a metal examination table, an IV dripped sedatives from a bag, while the young woman who attacked his office stood over him writing notes onto a notepad. Rex's head had been shaved during a medical examination, and his metal arm was detached and strung up to be examined on a table to the left. His equipment had been locked in a storage container and had been carted off deeper into the facility. The young woman, Persephone, checked various read outs from the array of equipment surrounding the bound Rex, and chewed on a lock of hair as she concentrated on the readings.

"How's the bastard doing?"

Persephone turned to see her aunt, Artemis, clunk into the room to once again glare at the bound Rex. Her legs had been encased in metallic armor filled with restorative ointments and stim fluid filled syringes had been jabbed into her legs to correct the damaged nerves.

"Fine surprisingly" Persephone says checking one final readout "I believe he has some kind of artificial heart, that's the only explanation I can come with considering we injected him with enough tranquilizer to drop a deathclaw."

"Savant should have finished him off" Artemis says looking over Rex's slumbering form with contempt "His sentimentality is wasted on this filth, and when he's done I'll enjoy slitting his throat"

"You have to admit the resemblance is striking; almost unnerving; though the alternate path has created a completely new individual" Persephone says rolling her eyes at her aunt's hatred and continuing her examination "His muscles show development towards stamina and heavy lifting rather than fighting. Repeated burns on his fingertips and caked in gun powder suggest skill with firearms and rapid reloading. Track marks on both arms indicate drug use within the last ten years, and other assorted scars suggest everything we've heard about Mr. Craster is true."

"Him versus me in the arena; I'd cut him down in an instant" Artemis says her scowl deepening.

"He's not for you to kill" Persephone says placing her notes in a container filled with samples taken from Rex and seals the container "If father gets his way he'll be an invaluable asset"

"Your father has always been an idealist" Artemis says turning around to leave "Ever since we were children, he always thought he could talk his way in and out of anything."

"I'd advised you not to doubt my father; his sentimentality only goes so far auntie" Persephone says, her voice dripping in venom "Keep in mind he's the only reason you're walking free, or living"

Persephone turned to face her aunt's back but found Artemis suddenly in front her holding a scalpel to her throat "Listen to me brat, I did not survive the wasteland, the Institute's relentless assignments, and your father's endless pursuit of his perfect world to be disrespected by my own blood."

Persephone shrunk back for a moment before she buried the butt of a small laser pistol into her aunt's stomach "Go ahead do it, this is a dead man's trigger I let go and you get acquainted with your intestines."

"Enough" A quiet voice said from the entryway.

They turned to see massive form of Athena enter the examination room wearing her casual uniform and for once not sporting her signature black mask, revealing a sharp almost painful beauty that accented her bright blue eyes.

Artemis withdrew the scalpel and placed it on the exam table next to the bound Rex and Persephone aimed her gun at the ceiling and released the trigger letting out a blast of blue energy into the ceiling.

"To see the two of you bickering like children makes me sick; I didn't raise either of you to act so juvenile" Athena says walking between the two and running her hand along Rex's face "If your father saw this Persephone, insulting your honored aunt like this, he'd be more than disappointed with you."

Persephone bowed her head and Artemis smirked triumphantly before Athena turned to her.

"And you Artemis, do you forget your brother's pursuit of the perfect world is why you live today" Athena says calmly eying the assassin "and why you remain so beautiful and young"

She begins walking to the door before turning her head and saying "Savant wants him up and awake for dinner, and Artemis, you no longer need to hide your true hair color make sure you correct it before dinner"

"Yes mistress Athena" The women says in unison.

Persephone turns and replaces the I.V with something to flush the sedatives out of Rex's system, while Artemis stalks out of the room scowling.

?

Through fuzzy greyness Rex returned to consciousness and sat up. He realized he was atop a medical exam table, and made to rub his forehead but found that his left arm was missing. Rex looked around the room he was in saw various health monitors showing readouts of his vital signs and a small rack with a suit carrier hung from it. He hopped of the table and examined the clothing; a complete black dinner suit finely made and freshly pressed, gold cuff links, a red handkerchief, and a pair of oxfords. Rex drew the hanger out and was disappointed to find it was plastic. He looked around the room in search of a weapon, and tried every shelf and cabinet for anything. Everything was locked and he was without a bobby pin or his kit.

"You won't find a weapon; we've prepared for someone with your level of… ah ingenuity" a voice said from the doorway.

Rex turned to find the girl from the office attack looking him over with mild annoyance from the doorway.

"You can't blame me for trying" Rex says shrugging facing the girl, and staring at her examining her every feature on her face, an eerie feeling of déjà vu sweeping over him.

"Stop staring at me and get dressed I have orders to bring you to Savant for dinner" The woman says scowling at him.

"Sorry you just look like an old ex" Rex says smiling his warmest fake smile as began getting dressed his old practice at one armed dressing was kicking back in, but still had difficulties "So Octavian's an android, huh? Must have been fun convincing the tech hating legion to follow him"

"You'd be surprised what, and who, people will follow when they have their world destroyed" the woman says rolling her eyes "he serves his purpose just as we all do to drive the legion forward into the modern era."

"Really? You don't strike me as the legion type, hon" Rex says sliding into the suit jacket and winking before rolling the left sleeve up and using his teeth to put the cuff link in on the right "but what do I know, I didn't even know they built androids that big."

"He's a custom job; built by my father, Savant" The woman explains turning and gesturing for him to follow "while self- aware all he does is serve as a figurehead for our control of the Legion"

"Very forthcoming with the info there" Rex says following her out into a cement hall way lit by sterile white overhead lights, and guarded by armed black masked men and women wearing the advanced legion combat armor he'd seen in the first attack on the strip "Secretly pulling for my side?"

The woman laughs before saying "I'm telling you this under Savant's orders, and because you can't leave unless we say so, so no chance any of your friends in New Vegas will ever hear this"

They remained silent as they walked in front of a set of massive glass windows overlooking a factory floor were rows upon rows of red power armor stood silent and foreboding. Atop each set of the massive armors were bull horns and glaring red eyes. Next to each set was a generator charging three separate fusion cores each. As they continued their walk Rex could see that the factory extended quite a ways and seemed bisected into different production areas as it went, but he couldn't see what the other areas were producing.

"Preparing for war?" Rex asks

"Yes, but your actions tonight will determine with whom" the woman says aimlessly chewing on a lock of hair as she stared forward. Rex noticed it and smiled a fond memory bubbling up from the recesses of his memory.

"You know my late-wife used to do that too" Rex says smiling "I used to tease her about losing all her hair."

The woman stopped for a moment and then continued walking letting the hair drop to her shoulder before continuing. Rex felt a chill run through him as he felt fingers run up his spine and then two hands rubbing his freshly bald head as he walked. He turned his head and saw the ghostly visage of Mirada walking behind smirking with her bubbly smile. Rex kept walking, now of all times was not the time for this particular delusion, but at every corner Mirada appeared attempting to catch his attention not saying anything only provocatively leaning or bending over to pick some imaginary item off the ground.

The pair came to an elevator and as they waited for it to come Rex felt warm breath on his ear and heard the delusion of his dead wife whisper "Rexxy, I need you". He shook his head to dispel the phantom, but she just switched to the other ear and whispered "It'd be like that time in the super duper mart on that salvaging run; hot, sweaty and dirty".

The elevator came and Rex and the woman boarded and just as the door shut Rex could feel Mirada's arms wrap around his chest from behind and he could feel her body pressed against his. The woman took notice of his discomfort and laughed thinking he was scared while Rex himself repeated the mantra of "she's not real you're just crazy" over and over again in his head. He felt her lips as she kissed his neck and when she found his ear again began to nibble at his ear lobe. Feeling he had enough turned to the young woman and said "Remain calm' before punching himself in the face as hard as he could.

The woman recoiled back into the wall of the elevator in shock yelling at Rex, but when he shook the pain away Rex found that the delusion was ended. At least until the elevator doors opened and she stood in a warm and inviting living room wearing a spotted evening dress. Only it wasn't the same delusion, this Mirada was at least ten years older her brown hair long and flowing, the scar on her face even more faded than when they were together. Rex reeled back for a moment and held his hands up asking "Mirada?" and realized with sickening clarity that this was no delusion. He had never been capable of imagining an older Mirada, someway somehow Mirada was standing in front of him alive and well.

"Hello, mom I brought him here just like father said to" The woman says stepping out of the elevator.

"Thank you baby, go and get him from the workshop will you?" Mirada says kissing the woman on the cheek before turning to Rex "Well don't just stand there handsome come in and we can get dinner on the table."

Rex stood there for a moment his mind racing with all the possible answers fro as to why his dead wife was standing in front of him, and quite frankly failing. He lunges forward and wraps Mirada in an awkward one armed hug.

"Whoa there tiger" She says returning the hug "Take it easy I'm a married woman after all"

Rex still dumbstruck releases her and looks beyond Mirada to see the young woman re-enter the room and say:

"Dad wants to talk to him alone before dinner" The woman says gesturing through a door.

Mirada walk around him and slaps him on the butt and winking before saying "well don't keep him waiting"

Rex walks forward numbly, still trying to process what was happening when the young woman chastised her mother:

"Mother do you have to be so unseemly?"

Rex didn't hear the answer because it was cut off as he entered another room and the door shut behind him. He looked around at the space realizing it was a massive workshop not unlike his own, and examined the custom equipment and schematics strewn across the space before his gaze came to a stop on a lone form sitting behind a desk smoking a cigar. The figure examined with intense grey eyes and a twinkling grin. Rex found himself not face to face with the man named Savant, but instead he stared into the eyes of none other than Rex Craster.


	15. Chapter 15

Artemis unwrapped the towel from her head examining her newly restored hair color. Fiery red locks had replaced the false brown and after a few hours intense scrubbing and combing she had coaxed back her original red. She examined her features now scrubbed clean and pink, a spitting image of her dead mother if Savant was to be believed, and sighed as a wet lock of hair came loose and obscured her face. With a slide of her hand she pushed the hair behind her ear. Though she was expected at Savant's dinner with the doppelganger, Artemis took her time drying off.

As she dried the water off her skin her hand touched the long white scar crossing vertically on her abdomen. A flash of bright light, a baby's cry, and the smell of blood assaulted her for an instant and she staggered back dropping the towel to the floor. She pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead and crumbled to the floor her eyes shut tight. A tremor of cold energy traveled up her spin and for just a moment she felt phantom hands around her neck cutting off the oxygen. She opened her eyes and slammed her fist into the concrete of the sink the pain dispelling the phantom sensations and took a deep breath.

Standing, Artemis grabbed the small green bottle from a shelf next to the mirror and undid the top. She chewed three pink pills. In a moment the medicine went to work and the cold trembling energy dissipated leaving the familiar layer of ice at her center. If Persephone was to be believed the doppelganger showed signs of schizophrenia, apparently fits of delusions and vivid hallucination ran in the family.

She left the small bathroom and entered her small concrete pillbox of a room. The walls were lined with hand drawn maps beneath mounted weapon racks containing everything from rifles to blades. Above her small dresser reverently placed on a rack was a heavily modified .44 pistol, it gleamed in the sterile light of the ceiling lamp. Still nude Artemis took the gun off the wall and loaded it with bullets from the top shelf of her dresser before placing it in a holster hanging on the wall. Artemis found some strange comfort from handling her old mentor's weapon, she had fished it off the old bastard's corpse after a freshly unfrozen crone offed him.

A red dress was strewn across her bed and a pair of black stilettoes. She sighed and dressed wrapping a six slot knife holster around her right thigh and placed six silver knives in it. She strapped the shoes onto her feet and the holster around her hip and examined herself in the mirrior. Her legs were still beet red and she could still see faint burn marks wrapping around them, but she felt no pain when she walked and that was good enough for her. Artemis grabbed a small black box from her dresser and opened it. Inside lay a small silver locket its surface covered in scratches and scuffs. Artemis picked the locket up and clasped its chain around her neck before leaving the room. The lights automatically switched off as she left the room and as she walked down the concrete hallway she passed the multitude of service synths dressed in standard Legion slave wear.

It actually made her feel sorry for a moment as she watched the synths go about their duties. They had once been decent combat units, but Savant's retrofit of most of the small army of synths they had brought with them had neutered their combat abilities and replaced them with service programming. It served to fit the illusion of the "Mystic" Savant's inner sanctum where Octavian worked out the machinations of the universe. She rolled her eyes at the thought remembering when the synth now known as Octavian had been a soft spoken cook. The unwashed savages that comprised most of the New Legion's forces were forbidden from entering the inner sanctum save for their commanders and generals. Of course even the select elite were forbidden to look upon Savant's face lest they be destroyed by his wrath or whatever bullshit her brother fed them to keep his true identity a secret. Sharing a face with the Courier was a health hazard after all.

The courier, Rex Craster still used the name Savant had abandoned years ago for the handle given to him on the Brahmin runs. Her own name had been changed when they were taken in by the institute, at Savant's insistence she took up the name of the goddess of the hunt, fitting considering what the institute would turn her into. Soon she arrived at the elevator to Savant's quarters and after being waved through by the guards she entered the elevator. She gazed into her own eyes as they were reflected back in the metal of the elevator door, a seemingly normal human face gazed back at her, but she knew better than to believe that.

When the doors opened she looked forward and saw Mirada standing behind the small counter preparing what looked to be a salad of some kind while the brat Persephone set plates at the table. Artemis stepped out of the elevator onto the lush carpet with a quick scan of the combined living room dining room she saw that neither the doppelganger nor Savant were in the room.

"Where's Savant?" She asked Mirada.

Mirada stopped chopping carrots for a moment and looked at Artemis before smiling and said "In the workshop but he doesn't want to be disturbed until he's gotten a chance to talk to this world's version of him."

"He does know who he's dealing with right?" Artemis asked as she approached the counter and plucked a cucumber out of the salad before popping it into her mouth "lots of sharp tools in that work shop"

"Do you think father's stupid Artemis? Of course he wouldn't allow the Courier anywhere near a potential weapon" Persephone said placing glimmering silverware next to each plate.

"No he isn't stupid, that's the issue; Savant becomes far too cocky when he believes he's winning" Artemis said just as a wooden spoon conks her head sending a jolt of pain down her skull.

"What have I told you three about those stupid codenames? Within my home your name is Rose" Mirada shooting a look to Persephone "Got that Penelope?"

"Yes, mom" Persephone said.

"Good, I want tonight to go perfectly" Mirada said returning to her work "I don't look forward to watching a carbon copy of my husband being executed"

"I still think we should kill him and leave his corpse on his doorstep" Artemis said rubbing her head.

"The Courier is much more valuable as a potential ally" Persephone said "Fighting a war with the Mojave and the Brotherhood wouldn't turn out well for anyone. When father explains his plans the Courier will see the light and join forces with us."

"I sincerely doubt that" Artemis said. If the doppelganger was anything like her brother than it would be nigh impossible for Savant to change his mind. Then as always when her brother's diplomacy failed she'd be called for duty.

Artemis looked at her sister in law. She had plain light brown hair that rimmed her heart shaped face and small soft features that were broken by a long faded scar that started from the left side of her jaw and crossed her face to the underside of her right ear. Her hands were the hands of a cook, burnt and calloused from years of working with friars, skillets, and knives. Back in the confines of the institute she had forced a change from the usual prepackaged MRE like meals to hand prepared meals much to the pleasure of its scientists and technicians. Though no one would mistake her for a woman in her early twenties Mirada didn't look a day over thirty while in truth she was well into her late forties. Much like Savant and Artemis herself Mirada's aging had been cut in half by the Institute's preservation techniques, the same techniques that had made her mentor into the monster he had been.

Her niece, Persephone, had finished setting the table. She was skinny like her father, lacking her mother's curvy figure, but had her heart shaped face that clashed with the sharp nose and wide grey eyes of her father. The girl had the unfortunate luck to inherit facial features from both her parents that clashed horribly giving her the look of a poorly done portrait. Artemis smirked running a hand over the skin of her face sightlessly admiring her sharp features, Persephone looked up from the table and saw Artemis's sneer. She raised her hands towards her face subconsciously and blushed looking away as Artemis let out a deep chuckle. The little bitch had grown far too confident, the incident in the infirmary had proven that much, and it was good to see that Artemis could still get to her.

Artemis had inherited her mother's natural beauty just as she had her hair, and knew how powerful a weapon a pretty face was. It was a pity really, that Persephone's plain features were a water pistol compared to hers. She poured scotch into a tumbler and took a seat at the table leaning the chair back as she eyed Persephone from across the table. Persephone for her part fingered the plunger of one of the syringes in the holster on her hip. Their silent battle went on for another few seconds before a glimmer of silver flashed in front of Artemis's eyes and slammed into the wall. A tuft of Artemis hair floated down onto the bare plate and she turned her head to see a large silver knife embedded into the wall almost to the handle.

"Now Rose what have I told you about antagonizing my daughter?" Mirada said her voice dripping with sweetness when Artemis turned to look at her Mirada's features resembled a statue of some wrathful war goddess "I hate getting human blood on my cutlery ruins the taste of anything I cook for a week."

Artemis raised her hands in surrender and took a sip of her drink;

"It's going to be a fun night"

?

"Well howdy handsome" The doppelganger said standing.

Rex stood a few feet in front of the work bench his double was standing behind his mind racing with possibilities. For his part the Copy waited calmly as Rex processed the information. Clone? No Rex could see that plainly, a small scar barely visible just above his eyebrow proved that and no enemy he had hated him enough to dig up his dead wife and clone her.

"Let me guess you're from another universe" Rex asked stepping forward and placing his hands on the workbench. His guns were disassembled and their parts were neatly arranged across the table save for the firing pins.

"Well that was quick" the other Rex said folding his arms. He wore a cotton shirt and black jeans with black loafers. His hair was combed to the left and Rex saw streaks of grey in the faded rust of his hair "I had this whole reveal planned and everything; what tipped you off?"

"Sorry to disappoint" Rex said stepped forward and tapped an eyebrow "we have the same scar very few people know about it. So you're not a clone, and then there's Mirada"

"What about Mirada?" the other Rex asked raising an eyebrow.

"She has the scar on the small of her back from a big horn" Rex answered as he looked around the room. In the darkened corners of the workshop he noted the slightly glowing eyes of guards silently observing him "I doubt anyone knows me enough to be privy to that detail."

"Ah that takes me back, three days we held up in a scrap yard as that wild herd beat at the fence" The doppelganger said as he rose chuckling "I still remember Shaun's fist colliding with my nose."

Considering that Rex was the only person alive who would know that for now he would take it at face value.

"She tried to kill the lead's mate for dinner if I recall" Rex said.

"Yep, a little brash when her stomach's involved" the other Rex said walking around the table and offering Rex a pack of cigarette. Rex accepted and let the doppelganger light it with a match, and after a few puffs his head cleared.

"So, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume the assassin you sent after me is Rose?" Rex asked playing a hunch.

"They told me you were perceptive" The doppelganger said chopping the end of a cigar before lighting it "Although she goes by Artemis now, ever since Mom and Dad died she's hated her given name, if you ask me it's a coping mechanism, but what do I know."

Both my wife and little sister brought back from the dead Rex thought depleting the cigarette and flicking it at one of the shaded guards, it bounced off and the guard silently stamped it out It seems some Rexs get all the luck.

"I left her behind that day and she was caught up in the attack" Rex said.

"I'm sorry to hear that; is she buried next to Mom and Dad?" The doppelganger asked as if he were a kindly older brother offering condolences.

"They weren't kind enough to kill her" Rex said his grey eyes locked with the doppelgangers "She disappeared with whoever attacked us and I didn't see her for almost ten years"

"One day I hope you'll tell me all about that" the doppelganger said, he kept his distance from Rex and as expected was watching Rex's every expression "in fact I hope that one day you and I will be like brothers. I want you to know you have a family now Rex; I know you've been alone for so long I've been to the old trading post and I've seen the graves. I know you weren't as lucky as I was and I know what you lost"

"NO YOU FUCKING DON'T!" Rex screamed anger flooding his veins. He rushed forward and grabbed the other Rex's collar and pulled him close "You have Mirada, Rose, and you got to see the birth of your child. That what was taken from me, so do not for a moment even begin to think you know who I am or what I've lost."

The anger left him then, and he released his grip. Rex breathed out and felt the last of his anger leave before looking up again and asked:

"How did you avoid the plague?"

The doppelganger moved backward a few steps and raised a hand setting the guards around the room back to their resting positions and said:

"A synth belonging to the Institute came through the area; another synth Athena was tasked with capturing it and noticed the work I was doing at the trading post and recruited me. The institute is a group…"

"I've heard about the institute" Rex said interrupting, he lit another cigarette "boogeymen north of D.C if I recall."

"We're much more than boogeymen" The doppelganger said a vicious smile on his face "The things we were capable would astound even someone like you Rex; once I helped them get a nuclear reactor going the institute hit its stride, save for a small incident involving a prewar lawyer, and for twenty years I worked alongside the greatest minds humanity had left."

"You look young for a man pushing forty" Rex said taking a drag form the cigarette "for me Mirada died ten years ago, but you have twenty years with her."

"The institute had many technologies dedicated to keeping its researchers young" The doppelganger explained "Myself, Mirada, and even Rose have been altered age at half the normal. A quarter in Rose's case."

"You keep referring to the institute in past tense" Rex said "I'm assuming that's not a job you can just be fired from."

"My superiors and I had distinct differences in thought regarding treatment of synths that could be considered advanced enough for sentience" The doppelganger explained "At that point I saw what needed to be done to create the world worthy of my knowledge and attempted a coup de tat. Ironically my efforts to advance science were now ensuring that I would never hold power over the institute, and in an attempt to stop me once and for all the Director decided to send me and my army of freed synths across the trans dimensional divide. She also decided to attempt to kill me by dropping in the middle of a desert, many of my synths did not survive the effects of the travel, and thus when I finally found this very convenient prewar military base I had a skeleton crew at my disposal."

"Enter the remnants of the legion" Rex said.

"Yes, a little reprogramming to one of my more basic synths and suddenly I had an army of fanatics under my control; though when I realized who their most hated foe was I quickly slipped into the shadows"

"Yeah they kind of hate me" Rex said "You lob a couple of Nukes and suddenly your enemy numero uno"

"I'm sure; I wondered what kind of man my counterpart in this universe was to elicit such hatred and fear amongst these hardened men, and I have to say Rex you live up to the rumors" the doppelganger said leaning against the work bench "With one hand you lift the masses up from the dust and with the other fell any who stand in the way of progress."

"Enough flattery get to the fucking point" Rex said stamping out the cigarette.

"Alright, Rex I want to join forces with you" The doppelganger said, he gestured for Rex to follow and began walking towards the back of the workshop where a thick metal door stood "You in the span of two years have created a nation that given time could rise to even greater heights than our pre-war ancestors. The NCR to the east would never attack directly because they rely too much on the Mojave's production of consumer goods, so they resort to letting my Legion do the dirty work. The technologies you've brought back from the ashes of the old world rival what I and my former colleagues at the Institute developed, and in doing so have created the greatest defensive border the post war world has ever seen. You command an army of killing machines, and your militias are surprisingly effective considering most were drifters or farmers two years ago. This is your weakness, your people believe they are completely safe, and you let that lie fester and consume them."

"They are safe" Rex said as the doppelganger punched a code into a keypad and opened the door "I have spent every day for the last two years ensuring that."

"Yes you have, but is it truly enough? Can you keep them safe?" The doppelganger says leading him through a blank stonewalled hallway "I have struck the heart of the Mojave three times, once to ascertain your identity, the second attack was to test your response time, and the third I simply walked into your office and took you. You talk a big game, but we both know there is no way to protect everyone, not without making certain concession that is."

"Let me guess turn over the keys to the executive bathroom right?" Rex replied as they reached a small blast door which whirred as it slid upwards into the ceiling. They stepped outside onto a balcony, and Rex found a sky full of stars above him and off in every direction were the blood red tents of the Legion. As far as the eye could see were soldiers and vehicles by the thousands some patrolling, some sleeping, while others worked on massive mechanical monstrosities that resembled praying mantises. Rex walked forward and laced his hand on the railing of the balcony and felt the doppelganger slid in next to him.

"How many men?" he asked.

"Sixty thousand fighting men, five thousand battle mechs, and enough vehicles and ammo to overrun your little wall" The doppelganger said smirking as he chewed his cigar "Statistically we'd overrun your defenses and consume your militias in a matter of weeks. Those xenophobes you call the boomers will find their arsenal rather ineffective against my cloaked infantry, won't even know that there in their compound until they feel the edge of a knife cutting their throats. Without your artillery New Vegas falls by the seventh week maybe sooner depending how many communities decide to join our cause."

Rex sighed and bent back his head and looked straight up into the sky looking longingly at the stars "Why? Why are you willing to murder thousands of innocent people?" HE asked "Although I can probably guess; you think you can run it better, make the world a better place but first you have to take all the dirty savages and force your enlightenment on them. I've known men like you, hell maybe your right, maybe this word needs to be taken back from the corrupt and unjust maybe its people need to be dragged kicking and screaming into utopia. But I believe in free will for the most part, but I don't like the idea of jack booted ideologues raping and plundering across my Mojave. How about this I give you three days to go over your plan and convince me."

"Well that's a start" The doppelganger said clapping his hands "The first step on the road to piece is compromise. Come on Mirada's making her famous Milurk chowder; trust me on this Rex it's to die for"

"So what do I call you anyway, we both can't go by Rex"

"How about I use our full name; Reximus" He said from the doorway.

"Alright" Rex said taking one last look at the stars before following Reximus back into the hall. Silently praying that the tesla coils in his head were firing correctly.

?

Miles away in the heart of the big empty's Think Tank, Rex's brain Tyrone floated in the glowing green liquid of his new tank. Wires had been connected to his grey matter and led directly into a computer system and a bank of holographic displays. Standing around him was Mordin, Veronica, Arcade, Shepard, and Jack. The screens displayed live imaging from Rex's perspective and speakers strewn around the room projected what he heard.

"You have got to be shitting me his full name is Reximus?" Jack said stifling a laugh.

"Kindly shut your gullet you insufferable boor" Tyrone said "Our father was not only a man of Medicine but a more than competent linguist; we are named Reximus because it is the plural conjunction of the Latin word rego which means to govern."

"Yeah I bet that kept you from getting your ass kicked as a kid" jack said tapping the glass.

"Can you please stop antagonizing the talking brain" Shepard ordered as she overlooked the still image of the stars taken from Rex's memory "we need to find where he is and where that army is located; any luck with the stars?"

Veronica and Arcade were looking through old almanacs and star charts and Veronica said "We'd make more progress if the image wasn't so grainy."

"Brain computer interface unstable" Mordin said as he checked the wires and tanks chemical levels "Would do better without nagging." He adjusted a wire and the image went from slightly grainy to crystal clear.

"That's better thank you Mordin" Veronica said as she cross referenced placement of the North Star "If only he had a sextant."

"I can't imagine what he's going through" Shepard said thoughts of a certain space marine flitted through her mind "I don't know what I'd do if someone I loved suddenly came back to life"

"It is not pleasant" Tyrone said "Even I, the intellect of our duo, am experiencing distress over this development. Both Mirada and Rose have long been dead in our timeline, and we have come to accept their passing. But the girl is different; if this alternate Mirada survived then the girl known as Persephone is most likely the child lost so many years ago. She is the most dangerous person in the room; whatever affection Rex still holds for Rose or Mirada pales in comparison to the latent paternal instinct he has for the girl."

"If anyone can persuade him to join with the Legion it's her" Veronica said looking up from her maps "regardless we have three days to find the Legion base, and if we can't do that we need to start preparing for full scale war."

Jack was silently staring at the screens watching through Rex's perspective as he walked through the halls behind his double. Though she hated to admit it she felt for him; though she certainly wasn't in love with him Jack had in the few weeks of dating come to accept Rex and had even begun to like him. Like the crew of the Normandy Rex had somehow wormed his way into her heart and she actually worried for his safety. The last thing she needed was another person to weigh her down, to care about, but even Jack admitted it felt nice to have someone like Rex to talk to.

"We'll get him out" Shepard said coming to stand next to her.

"I know, isn't that what you do girl scout? Save the day" Jack asked straightening.

"Yeah, but you looked worried" Shepard said grinning "Not going soft on me now are you Jack?"

Jack punched her in the arm "Fuck off, I'm only I'll have to pay for my own booze if he goes and dies"

She returns the smirk for a moment before deflating slightly "They took his guns, and his arm what does he have left?"

"Us" Shepard said "and he's pretty god damned smart"

"Not as smart as he likes us to think" Jack said going back to watching the screens.

/?

Rex and Reximus walked back down the hall and through the workshop. They entered back into Reximus's quarters where they waited. He saw Rose, her red hair vibrant as they day he lost her, and she was the spitting image of their mother. She drank from a metal tumbler and when she saw them enter she placed the tumbler on the table and glared at Rex. Out of the empty air next to her a smaller Rose stepped into being; she was bone thin with ragged streams of red hair falling to her ankles and a bullet hole adorned her forehead above her dead eyes. This Rose didn't glare at Rex, but instead smiled bringing life to her dead eyes. Though she was a teenager the ghost Rose began to skip around the table like a she had when she was a five year old. A pressure built in the back of Rex's head and his pulse quickened.

Reximus said something, but it was drowned out by someone singing. Rex turned and wasn't surprised to see Mirada, his Mirada, sitting in one of the comfortable looking armchairs in the small living room. This wasn't the usual version of her that tortured him, but Mirada as she was days before her death; extremely pregnant and draped in a maternity dress. She ran her hands down her stomach singing a lullaby to baby inside her, and when she noticed him watching her she smiled and gestured for Rex to join her. Rex's muscles began to ache and slacken and his legs failed him; as he fell to the ground one last ghost appeared blurry and formless. It was her, the child he lost. As blackness devoured the room Rex uttered two words "I'm Sorry".

When he woke Rex was in a bed and buried under several comforters. He sat up and was overjoyed to see that no ghost greeted him. His arm had been returned to him and he flexed his black metal fingers testing the weight; it calibrated itself as he stretched. Rex examined the room around him; it was decadent and elegant not unlike a room at the Ultra Luxe. Standing up Rex noticed he was once again stripped to his underwear and rummaged through a dresser for a pair of shorts and a tank top. A pair of leather sandals were by the door and after putting them on he opened the faux wood door and went out into the hall. Unsurprisingly it was identical to the other halls he had passed through in the facility and identical sets of guards lined the walls.

He began walking down the hall but a guard grabbed his shoulder, and Rex tensed clenching his fists for a fight. The soldier let go of his shoulder and handed him a small slip of paper:

Do not speak; there is a bug in your arm

The soldier looked at him purposely and when Rex nodded the soldier motioned for him to follow. HE led Rex through the labyrinth of hallways deeper into the facility; they would often move to avoid the patrols of guards wearing armor a deeper shade of red than the other guards. When they apparently reached their destination the soldier opened a hidden door built into the stone of the hall. He gestured for Rex to enter the dark interior. Hesitant Rex looked at the soldier questioning the whole endeavor, but the soldier made a gesture that said time was of the essence. With no other options Rex stepped into the dark room and the door closed shut behind him bathing him in darkness.

A sterile fluorescent bulb lit up and bathed the room in white light. Rex found himself staring at an old man who despite his obvious age was built like a tank. He sat behind a table and behind him stood two people; a boy no older than fourteen and a woman who looked to be in her early thirties. The man did not speak but instead brought out a small half sphere shaped crystal with a long silver tuning fork jutting out of its top. With a flick the man sent the fork undulating and he said:

"Hello courier six it is an honor to meet you"

"I'm sure" Rex said "let me guess harmonic resonator?"

"Yes, this will keep the bug in your arm from transmitting for the duration of our meeting"

"So you want to hide this conversation from your glorious leader, why?"

"I have an offer, but first I must introduce myself" the old man said "I am legate Vein, I command half of the tribes that make up Reximus's fighters, and I am willing, as are my men, to swear loyalty to you and Mojave. That is roughly thirty thousand hardened fighters along with the civilian populations of our tribes numbering roughly fifteen thousand."

"Oh well that doesn't sound like a trap at all" Rex said placing his hands on the table "Why would you and your forces turn against the legion?"

"After you destroyed the Legion and killed Caesar the legion splintered into a thousand pieces and a power vacuum formed. I alongside many of the other leaders united under one cause; to learn from the mistakes of the Legion and build our own empire. But when the false heir Octavian rose and summoned his forces we knew we would lose too much if we resisted, and now we see a way out."

"But why join me? What could I offer you and your people?"

"What your counterpart won't; seeds, timber, water, and electricity. Reximus has given us only war machines and bullets. Can my grandchildren eat bullets? Who will plow my fields if the men are fighting some stupid war? Is it better for a boy to learn how to add before he learns to kill? Your doppelganger offers us only war and violence; he believes us to be savages only useful to wage war and covets the nation you have built." Vein explained strumming the tuning fork again "when he has your production facilities he will replace us with an army of synths and throw us away, but we will not go so willingly into death."

"Let's for a moment consider you're genuine what assurances do I have you'll keep your word?" Rex asked.

"Hera, Fin" Vein said and the pair behind him stepped forward "Hera is my daughter and this is her son Fin. In addition to joining your military force with ours every tribal leader will give their eldest child as a hostage to be housed wherever you see fit. This will be so for the next three generations, in exchange for our cooperation you will educate them and ensure their safety and wellbeing. This is of course in addition to integrating us into your society."

"Most of your people will be laborers and farmers" Rex said "to accommodate that many people we'll have to expand our agriculture and building programs"

"My people are tired of fighting Courier" Vein said "All we wish for is to grow not militarily but in wisdom. Many of us still die from preventable diseases that modern medical technology can cure, and it is time we became something more than savages."

"If I agree I'll need something now to ensure your trustworthiness"

"Of course" Vein said taking three items from his pocket "This is your emergency contact device correct" he held up a small black rectangle with a red button on one end "Small radio bursts in Morse code clever" and beside the transmitter were the firing pins to his pistols "I will give you the exact coordinates to this facility, and tomorrow I will mobilize my forces to the northeast feinting an attack on the Midwest brotherhood. In actuality we will double back and flank the remaining forces providing an opportunity for your forces to assist us; your people have three days to mobilize. I trust you will find an opportunity to contact your people."

Rex took the firing pins and slid them into a metal compartment of his arm alongside the transmitter "You don't need to worry about that they'll hear from me one way or another"

"Mal will take you back to the room; we can only stall so long before they realize you're gone" Vein said placing a hand on the tuning fork and stopping its reverberation.

Rex silently saluted and for the first time since his capture grinned a genuine grin. He had an ace up his sleeve, he hoped at least. All he had to do now was wait for his people to mobilize, hopefully his brain was receiving everything clearly. In the end whether Vein was sincere or not he would see the New Legion destroyed he owed them that much. He owed boon and Rex that much; he owed the dead from the legion's attacks vengeance. As he walked back through the hall Rex's ghosts silently appeared around him and this time they stood with him determination on their spectral faces. The Legion will fall he knew that, but the question was would he?


	16. The Viper and the Flower

Character clarifications:

Reximus- Rex's alternate self from another universe and secret leader of the New Legion

Mirada- Alternate version of Rex's deceased wife.

Persephone/Penelope- Reximus and Mirada's daughter.

Artemis/Rose- Alternate version of Rex's sister. Suffers from schizophrenia

Rose walked through the halls casually tossing one of her knives through the air and expertly catching it before it fell beyond her mid-section. She wore a simple gray dress that flowed into a ruffle around her legs, and concealed by the various folds of the dress where the slits in the dress, held together by strips of Velcro, allowed easy access to her blades and gun strapped to her leg. Her hair had been combed and as per Reximus's commands styled after their dead mother's favorite style, and with some protest he had doused her in a perfume made from lavender and vanilla. The scent their mother had drenched her person in when she was alive; a scent Rose distinctly remembered mixed with the stink of her mother's blood. Though she considered it beneath her to use such tactics of manipulation, her favorite being the kind where she drove a knife through the softer tissues of the neck, seeing the doppelganger squirm. Serves him right for scarring her legs.

When she arrived at her destination Rose knocked on the metal door and waited. She heard the doppelganger moving within the room and silently slid her knife back into its holster just as the door opened and the doppelganger stared out from the dim room at her. His hard angular face a mask, and his dark grey eyes smoldered with contempt, but he maintained the expression for only a moment. When he saw her the hardness of his features disappeared and the fire behind his eyes went out replaced by two emotions she hadn't seen on her brother's face in years. Guilt and love. She saw it play across his face for a split second before he resumed his silent glare, and she smirked upwards at him. He was shaken and weak letting the shock get to him.

"Good morning Courier" Rose said placing her hands behind her back and giving her sweetest smile "I'm supposed to fetch you for breakfast"

"Great I'm starving" the doppelganger said before stepping forward bringing his face inches from hers and inhaling through his nose "Lavender and Vanilla? So that's how's he's playing eh?"

He slipped past her and silently began his walk down the hall. Rose scowled at the back of his head and turned to follow when she felt one of the Velcro slits in her dress was open. She checked her knives and when she found two were missing she barked an order at a guard to restrain the doppelganger. The order caught in her throat as the blade flew past head nicking a chunk of her hair off followed by a second blade to make the other side of her hair match. The doppelganger stood at the end of the hall his grey eyes filled with contempt and just for a moment Rose felt something she hadn't felt for another human being in years. Admiration. Perhaps he wouldn't be as much of a pushover as she thought.

"Sorry couldn't stand you with that haircut" The doppelganger said casually flicking open one of his metal fingers to light a cigarette "I have to admit though; you look just like Mom"

"So I'm told" Rose said joining him and withdrawing a small paper parcel from the folds of her dress and tossing it to the doppelganger. He opened the parcel and his version of her mother's locket clinked into his metal hand.

"Was wondering where this got to" He said smiling before wrapping it around his metal fist and fastening it together. The silver of the locket had long faded into grey and was scratched all over its surface, and when the doppelganger shifted the locket into his palm to open it Rose saw that the small picture within was a faded image of a younger doppelganger and this universe's version of her. The locket she now wore around her neck, under Reximus's orders, had no picture and hadn't ever as far as she knew. A dagger of pain slashed through her brain and she paused grasping her head. The hallway seemed to bend and break around her; the grey concrete being replaced by clear glass and empty darkened cells.

"Not now" she muttered as the light flickered and the cells roared to life with mutilated and twisted forms screaming in pain. To her right a young girl with red hair sat crying as her arms bled from three metal rods stuck out of both of her arms. The rods were connected by clear hoses to a machine built into the wall. What was this? Her hallucinations were usually of zombies or some other beast, and they certainly never involved a younger version of herself.

The younger version of herself looked up, her eyes were slate grey and seemed to glow softly, and she screamed at the top of her lungs. The glass wall split and a shadowed form materialized. It entered the cell and the younger Rose skittered backwards into the wall screaming. Just as the form reached her the hallucination began to fade, but Rose heard the delusion of her younger self say "No! You promised mommy, you promised!"

When she returned to reality the doppelganger stood over her quietly observing her episode. She stood and scowled at him before drawing a blade and placing it against his throat.

"Tell anyone of what you just saw, and not even my brother can protect you"

The doppelganger made an okay sign and as they began walking again asked "So besides killing people do you have any hobbies?"

"I maintain a collection of weaponry" Rose said distractedly guiding him through the halls, the hallucination had tugged something in her mind and she was finding it hard to focus "I also participate in sparring with the other legionaries."

"Oh that's nice" the doppelganger said taking a drag from his cigarette "do you still collect pets at all?"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"Oh, maybe you didn't in your universe, but my Rose whenever she found a pest she'd adopt the damn thing and sweet talk me into getting food for it" The doppelganger said smiling with actual warmth "I remember you had a pet radroach named Steve when you were three. Oh man was Dad angry when it ate his stash of sugar bombs"

Another stab of pain erupted in her brain lesser than the first one, and with no hallucination. But whatever was buried in her brain had shaken a little.

"I don't remember much of my time before the institute" She explained as she rubbed her temples hoping she could get back to her quarters and take a pill "I was gravely injured when I was young and the healing process made me stronger, but it also almost entirely wiped my early years save for a few memories."

"That must have been tough" The doppelganger said "I suppose your brother filled in the gaps"

"Yes, almost all of my memories of our parents come from him through memory lounger technology"

"Hmm" the doppelganger mused over this information the locket tapping against the metal of his hand as he walked. The look on his face was somewhere between intrigue and concern, but the look quickly vanished behind an aloof mask.

They walked in silence, Rose's head throbbed with pain and her vision blurred as she blinked away tears as her eyes watered. She needed her pills badly and the sooner she took one the better. The doppelganger for his part was silent as they walked and seemed to be fidgeting with the locket. When they reached the entryway to Reximus's quarters Rose gestured him into the small elevator and turned quickly towards her own quarters. As she walked the walls shifted as if they were water and reshaped themselves into sleek white metal.

She reached the door to her room and opened it allowing the darkness to swallow her. Rose landed with a thud on the carpeted floor and groped around for her pills as she crawled around the blackened room. When she found the bottle she snapped the cap off and turned on a lamp and fished a bright pink pill from the bottle. She raised her hand to bring it to her lips and noticed something was now clasped to her wrist. It was the doppelganger's locket; he had to of noticed that she reacted to it and had clasped it to her wrist with its picture showing. The younger versions of the doppelganger and her alternate self-stared up at her with impish grins on their faces.

A wave of fire spread through her brain burning every synapse and she dropped the pill as the walls of her room shed their grey concrete and weapon racks and became sterile white metal. Her arms fell to her sides and as the locket hit the ground two ghostly figures appeared in front of her. Though their faces were obscured by a haze Rose saw one was a broad shouldered woman and the other a skinny man wearing an institute scientist uniform. Suddenly all of her vicious nature was gone and had been replaced by fear and pain. The figures spoke in muffled words that she couldn't understand, but Rose could see her arms shorten and shift as rods shot out of her arms connecting her to a machine. The years melted away and with a sorrowful sob she was a little girl again cowering not against her bed but a stark white wall as chemical was pumped in and blood pumped out.

What was happening? Where did this delusion come from? Her mind raced with questions as words came from her mouth.

"Rexi stop hurting me!" she yelled in a little girl's yell. Her voice was hoarse from crying and every syllable hurt as she screamed.

The skinny scientist stopped talking and walked over to her. He looked down at her on the floor for a moment before driving his foot into her stomach kicking her into the wall. The figure drew a small box out from his pocket and kneeled down over Rose who had gone limp on the floor. From the box he withdrew a small pink pill and grabbed her chin with one hand and with the other forced it into her mouth before forcing her to swallow. She almost vomited because she was sobbing so hard, and when the pill was swallowed the figure stood up and for the first time she saw the figure's face. It was her big brother, it was her Rexi. No that couldn't be. He promised Mommy he'd never let anyone hurt her; he made a forever promise when the bad men killed her and Daddy. Why was he hurting her?

"Why? Why? Why?" She muttered again and again as she lay there in the floor shifting between times and bodies. After an eternity Rose felt a set of calloused hands gently caress her face and lightly sit her up against the bed. Returned to the present Rose looked at the person who had propped her up and found a familiar face, Myri. Maybe she could tell her why Rexi was hurting her.

"Why?" she asked hoarsely.

"Cause he can't love anymore baby" Mirada said as she placed the discarded pill into Rose's hand.

"Don't wanna" Rose said dropping the pill to the floor.

"You need to take this now sweetie" Mirada explained with all the patience of a mother "He wants us all at breakfast and he wants you the way he made you to be."

"No makes me forget; makes me so angry"

"Rose take it before He sends someone else" Mirada said placing the pill back into her hand "I know what it does to you, but he'll do much worse if he finds out you remember who you were."

"Myri I'm scared of Rexi" Rose said her voice breaking "he hurt me."

"I'm scared too baby, but we have to do what we have to do" Mirada said raising Rose's hand to her mouth and guiding the pill into her mouth while simultaneously sliding the locket off her wrist. She swallowed the pill and a rush of ice covered her mind and the hallucinations faded away along with the painful memories to be replaced by predatory instinct and venom. Artemis was back.

After a few minutes she stood and Mirada rose with her.

"What are you doing in my quarters?" she asked.

"To fetch you for breakfast" Mirada said her face a mask of warmth.

"Good, I'm starving" Artemis said walking to the door. As she walked she felt her face and found drying tears "was I crying?"

"I think that's just a cold that's going around causes a lot of watering eyes" Mirada said following her out.

"Have your daughter synthesize some medicine for me" Artemis said "I can't afford to be weakened right now."

Artemis left the room, an icy chill comfortably settling in her gut. Today was going to be a good day.

?

Rex rode the elevator up into Reximus's quarters silently smoking. The other Rose reacted to the picture in the locket. Violently. He smoked his cigarette and processed the information before him as the elevator ascended. In the silence of the elevator a figure materialized beside him, and he recognized his mother's grease stained mechanic clothing. She leaned silently against the wall of the elevator and lit up her own cigarette from a pack in her breast pocket.

"Morning Mom" Rex said lighting his finger lighter and lighting his delusion's cigarette.

"Hey bud" she said "You're in a bit of a dilemma, eh?"

"That's an understatement" Rex said "Not only am I the prisoner of my douche doppelganger, but his version of Rose is probably as insane as I am and to top it all off Mirada's alive with their kid."

"And the hallucination of your long dead mother is smoking with you in an elevator" she said taking a drag from the cigarette "you know I hated these things right? Made your dad quit."

"Yeah, but you're my delusion so you play by my rules." Rex said flicking the depleted cigarette into a corner of the elevator.

"It's nice to see what my little Rose grew up to look though" His mother said "Of course she's not mine is she? Our Rose is gone, and that bitch certainly isn't my daughter"

"Language mother please, I know you're a figment of my mind but at least try to resist my bad influence" Rex said before rubbing his face with a hand "You know it occurs to me that they're probably listening in on this conversation, and I sound incredibly crazy talking to myself."

"Hey it's nothing to be ashamed about" She said patting his cheek "You're just a little unbalanced; you're gonna give em hell anyway so what does it matter what they think? Good luck baby, were here if you need us"

He nodded and waved his hand at her scattering like a cloud of dust as the doors opened onto the living room. Rex supposed it wasn't the best course of action to feed into his delusions right now, but fuck it, if Reximus was dragging ghosts from their graves than he'd answer with his own.

Rex stepped onto the carpet and looked around the room. His doppelganger was sitting in an armchair flipping through a stack of papers on a side table. The smell of sausages and eggs wafted through the air and Rex looked behind the counter to find Mirada busily arranging pates of food on the counter top. Her brown hair bobbed around her face and brushed across the long and faded scar that run up her face. Something within Rex shifted and suddenly he was filled with nervous energy as if looking at Mirada triggered his fight or flight response. The skin on the back of his neck bristled and his stomach dropped as he watched silently from the elevator doorway. She had outgrown her plainness of her youth and had developed the subtle almost weathered beauty that suited her quick and determined movements in the kitchen. Strangely Rex's eyes were drawn to her hands as they deftly added spices and sauces to the growing feast with quick determined movements that blurred as she worked. A pang of longing struck Rex's core, and suddenly he was very aware of how long it had been since he'd held those hands, ran his fingers along the soft edges of her heart shaped face, or held her close to him.

No, that wasn't right, this Mirada wasn't his. The woman he had loved was long dead, and this doppelganger would only serve to throw him off balance even more. He needed to keep his head and not let anything distract him, so he steeled himself and walked into the room readying himself. That lasted only a few seconds, because at that moment the girl entered the room.

Of course he had seen her before, but now knowing who she actually was it stopped Rex in his tracks. The girl who called herself Persephone stood before him examining him with wide grey eyes that were like a mirror image of his own. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Though she had her mother's brown hair and cheek bones the girl had his eyes and frame. Her long thin fingers gripped an old leather book and her lean frame was draped in yellow sundress that ran to her upper thigh. At the sight of her an icicle pierced through Rex's heart, this was so much worse than seeing Mirada alive, this girl standing before him now represented a life he had never experienced. Years of raising a child and seeing her grow into a beautiful young woman.

"It's not fair" he muttered under his breath as the girl looked to her father.

"He's here" She looked away and shuffled to the counter to help her mother place the food on the table. Though he knew he shouldn't show it Rex's face contorted into a grimace full of longing and pain. He allowed three seconds of grief before taking a deep breath and turning to greet his doppelganger.

"Rex! Good to see you buddy" Reximus said patting Rex on the shoulder and beaming a wide grin, Rex noted that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes, before looking behind him "Where's Rose?"

"She seemed a little under the weather; I think she went to her quarters" Rex said watching his doppelganger closely.

"Oh really?" though he tried to hide it Rex detected malice in his doppelganger's tone "Mirada babe would you go and check on Rose, you know how she gets and I'd hate it if she missed breakfast."

Reximus words dripped with familial concern, but Rex found something off with his tone. Like a journeyman actor delivering a line, it sounded believable to be sure but still sounded as if they were reading a script.

"Of course Hon" Mirada said drying her hands and tossing her stained apron onto the counter before walking past the pair of Rexs and entering the elevator.

"How ya feeling this morning Rex? Mirada was worried sick after you passed out last night" Reximus said guiding Rex to the table and handed him a steaming cup of coffee.

"Great thanks, turns out being kidnapped and finding out that one of my worst enemies is my doppelganger from another dimension takes a lot out of you"

"Kind of zen really" Reximus said "Your worst enemy was you all along"

"Most would consider my Mental illness and self-destructive nature my worst enemy; you my friend are a close second" Rex replied taking a sip of his coffee "So let's get to the matter at hand; what are your plans for the Mojave?"

"To create a perfect world of course" Reximus said a genuine smile across his face as he stood "Rex for the entirety of my life I have toiled to create sciences that would one day be used to lift the irradiated remains of humanity beyond the place of our ancestors and into perfection. Unfortunately my superiors at the institute were too closed minded and xenophobic to authorize their use; to allow me to actually interact with the people of the commonwealth. I offered them a society without crime or decay, but they shut me down and ordered me to remain within the walls of the institute."

"And how do you create and maintain your perfect society?" Rex asked.

"A mixture of class hierarchy, social programming, chemical adjustment, and force" Reximus said sneering like a child explaining multiplication to a toddler "Under my rule the people will be split into castes depending on their individual aptitudes and skill sets. Through chemicals designed to pacify in the food and water supply alongside specially produced entertainment and propaganda to keep the lesser castes compliant we will have complete control over the bulk of the population. The merchant and academic castes will be kept loyal through power and land grants as well as the odd purge to keep the caste genepool from becoming too intermingled, and of course the ruling caste will hold sway over it all through the Military caste who will be mostly made up of synths. I have much more detailed explanations of my programs if you'd like to read them Rex."

Rex scratched his chin and expressed genuine admiration on his face, but internally he was seating. What Reximus was talking about was stripping every man woman and child of choice and creating a kingdom of slaves and vassals not a nation.

"Sounds like your building an Empire" Rex said taking another drink of the coffee to hide his scowl.

"I do what needs to be done Rex" Reximus said as he sat down "You and I both know that the people of this world need to be led by a strong hand. Look what you've done in the Mojave; in the last two years you've created a super power. You preach about freedom and individuality, but in reality you are a dictator who uses his knowledge and command of powerful tech to control the drones. Face it Rex you and I are more alike than you'd care to admit."

"Maybe you're right" Rex said swigging the rest of the coffee "Say you're society gets built and after all the unmentionables and the free thinkers are handled what's to stop some asshole not so unlike ourselves from toppling it all? No society can remain perfect, especially one structured like yours, it will stagnate within a few generations, and then thanks to your social conditioning making the societal structure so rigid it will shatter. Adaptability is key to a society's survival, and your society favors the rich and powerful while leaving the rest to work as drones. Even a pacified work force, I doubt you plan to completely dope them, can simmer to the boiling point. Who will fight your battles when the poor taste blood and your synths fail you? "

Reximus locked his gaze with Rex's and for an instant Rex saw anger burning behind those calm grey eyes "That is why I need you Rex. I have become accustomed to a certain way of thinking, and I have come to the realization that my viewpoint while logical and fact based is lacking something. Understanding of the human condition. Within the walls of the Institute I was shielded from true humanity for so long, and it has somewhat skewed my viewpoints. I lead an army of savages through misdirection and parlor tricks while my true soldiers the synths stand around me collecting dust. Ideally I would replace the human element with synthetic, but in this case that would be as fruitless as attempting to teach a legionaries the finer points of astro physics."

"Why? I thought the synths were sentient" Rex asked accepting fresh coffee from Penelope.

"In truth only two of my synths possess true sentience Octavian and Athena" Reximus said frowning "The secrets of creating true synth sentience was lost to me in the war for the Institute; the fools wished to squash the potential of synthetic life."

Rex tapped his metal fingers on the table rhythmically and he looked at Reximus internally cursing his captor, but externally he held an expression of doubt and contemplation.

"We'd be partners in this?" He asked.

"We'd be brothers Rex" Reximus said smiling, once again the smile didn't quite reach his eyes "I meant what I said about you joining the family. Imagine it Rex, you and I ruling side by side our only equals the gods themselves. Together we can resurrect this world and remake human civilization in our Image."

Rex sipped his coffee and even though it made him sick to his stomach he rose and extended his hand "For the sake of my people I'll ally with you. If the only way to ensure their safety is an alliance, then so be it."

Reximus's smile widened into a vicious sneer for just a moment before he contorted his face back into warm smile. Not very good with that eh "Brother"? Rex thought to himself returning the smile.

"Good Good" Reximus decreed motioning for Penelope to pour Rex more coffee "This will be a beautiful partnership Rex. You'll see how effective my policies are soon enough after you and I tweak them of course."

At that moment Rose and Persephone entered the room from the elevator. Reximus met his wife and sister at the door and pulled Mirada close whispering into her ear while Rose walked to the table and plunked down into a chair before grabbing a sausage. Her demeanor had changed from earlier; now she felt like the predator he had locked up back in New Vegas. She sneered at him as she drew a knife and began slicing the plump sausage. Rex himself grabbed a stack of pancakes and drenched them in syrup before returning Rose's glare with a blank stare.

?

Shepard jogged through the Big mountain facility dodging soldiers and technicians hauling weapons and supplies towards the Teleporter nexus set up outside of the think tank. Her own crew was split between helping with the battle preparations and preparing the Hammer Head with a retrofitted mass effect core running on this universe's Element zero. The all-terrain vehicle was being outfitted with a massive Focused Laser cannon capable of firing a sustained beam that would melt through armor and flesh alike. As she jogged through the bustling crowds Shepard's com went off.

"Commander do you read?" Tali's voice emanated from Shepard's omni tool.

"Yes Tali, what do you need?"

"Ugh, commander you need to see this for yourself; can you come to the mother ship"

"Sure thing Tali I'll be there in a few minutes" Shepard said turning around and jogging back the way she came towards the teleportation nexus. She used one of the stations to teleport to the mothership. Like an army of worker bees repairing a scuttling across a hive technicians and workers streamed across the hull of the Mothership installing hardened laser cannons and teleporter beam emitters. Shepard hurried up the walkway leading into the massive ship and navigated the sleek halls to one of the ship's computer rooms where Tali, Miranda, and Legion worked on an Alien computer server.

"What's the situation?" Shepard asked as she entered the cramped room.

"Shepard commander Creator Tali'Zorrah has discovered data within this ship's archives that prove a hypothesis we have been debating"

"What hypothesis?" Shepard asked folding her arms over her chest.

"See for yourself" Miranda said tapping a key on her Omni tool and activating a small display in the floor that projected a hologram of lettering into the empty space between them.

Shepard examined the writing for a moment. It was different from the writing of aliens, and was strangely familiar.

"What am I looking at here?" She asked.

"Shepard Commander, this alphabet and sentence structure matches ancient Krogan with 97% match with the writing style preferred by Krogan war masters" Legion said.

"Wait a minute, as in our universe's Krogan?"

"Yes commander" Tali said as she opened another display "I was digging through the files to try and understand the ship's weapon systems better when I stumbled across this archive. I stumbled across the Krogan writing when I accidentally accessed logs from several centuries ago. It appears the "Zetans" as the locals call them, were connected with this universe's version of the Krogan at one point. Thanks to Legion's help with the translations we've discovered that these Zetans were fugitives in a sense; the two ships that orbited the earth were survivors of a disaster that saw most of their race marooned on their home world. Before that it appears the Zetans were allied to the Krogan."

"Commander, you know what this means correct?" Miranda asked "If this universe has Krogan…"

"Then the other races might exist too" Shepard responded before turning back to Tali "What happened that would force the Zetans to be grounded?"

"It's not really clear; most of the logs from that time have been corrupted; we only just managed to restore a small segment of the logs" Tali explained "But Shepard that's not the only reason we called you here." She tapped a command into the terminal and an orange symbol appeared before them pulsing every other second or so.

"What this?"

"A quantum entangled transmission activated by the Zetans approximately six years ago when the human known as Alyssa took control of the ship." Legion explained "It appears to be a last resort protocol activated by a worker."

"I don't suppose we can take solace in the fact no one's answered yet?" Shepard asked.

"No, what we managed to dreg from the corrupted files tells us that the Zetans were grounded shortly before this ship and its sister ship came to earth several hundred years ago" Miranda explained "The Zetans apparently took advantage of their teleportation technology and appeared in this system without using the Mass Effect Relay which presumably, if it even exists in this universe, is still buried inside Charon."

"It wouldn't be impossible for a race advanced enough to use the Relays to reach the sol system from a neighboring star system with a mass relay; Legion and the floating Drone ED-E have run the calculations, and have concluded that if the message was heard we'd expect to see a response within a decade." Tali explained.

"What if they were all destroyed by the reapers?" Shepard asked "We assume this planet was spared because of the great war, but the rest of the Galaxy would be ripe for the taking."

"We may have confirmation that says otherwise" Miranda said activating a sound file. A message played through a speaker in the ceiling; a message played in wat Shepard assumed was Krogan, and then cycled through three four other languages including the Zetan's own.

"What's that?" Shepard asked.

"A response received approximately three days after the initial message was sent" Legion said "We have identified Krogan, Salarian, Turian, Quarrian, and Zetan languages within the transmission. All appear to be relaying the same message: To those who believed they escaped punishment know one simple fact: we are coming. Do not flee we have locked onto your ship's signal and you will not be able to escape. You will answer for your crimes and "

"Well they sound nice" Shepard said "No Asari in that message?"

"It would appear that the Asari were not included in the declaration" Legion replied.

"How long before we can expect them to come knocking?" Shepard asked rubbing her temples.

"Our calculations suggest that if a response was dispatched shortly after the message was sent then we should see a response within the next three years" Miranda said looking through text files "what are your orders commander?"

"Keep this quiet until after we've dealt with the legion and got Rex back" Shepard said to crew "We'll figure out our next move when we 've handled the more immediate problem."

"Yes commander" the three said in unison.

"I want any and all intelligence regarding this situation as soon as it become available" Shepard ordered as they went back to work.

Shepard gave a salute and left the small room. Internally her mind was reeling; if the council races existed in this universe that could expedite their stay here, but it was also a possible danger. Who knew how much of a divergence there was, and the lack of an Asari voice in the message was troubling. It was just another problem to deal with, but for now she needed to focus on saving Rex and the Mojave. As she left the mothership Shepard looked up to the sky, blue and vast, and as she teleported to the lucky 38 she muttered "Can I have one god damn week of my life that goes to plan?"


	17. Prelude to war

Through the dark tunnels he ran every step echoing off the stone walls, and with every step the distance between him and the radiance lessened. He felt the others beside him running in the dark their steps in line with his own, as they ran on the growing light defined them against the solid blackness of the tunnel. Each had his face but some were older, some younger, and some had a dried layer of blood covering their sharp features. His vision returned to the radiant light at the end of the tunnel and through twelve eyes he and the other his saw the figure standing in the light beckoning them onward Her silent words echoing through his brain. What those words were he could not say but with every silent syllable a jolt of energy shot through his synapses and lit every nerve with warming light. Their feet bloody and raw they almost reached the light and just as their hands touched Her outstretched hand the world cracked and as they fell away from the light and back into the suffocating darkness. Before being consumed into the carnivorous darkness they uttered in unison "I'm sorry"

Rex woke from the dream. He sat up in a recliner in the quarters Reximus had given him. He checked a wall clock and saw that it was around nine pm. After spending the entire day with Reximus as he explained in excruciating detail how he would implement policies and rework infrastructure Rex had retreated to his quarters to rest. Lighting a cigarette Rex realized this is why Reximus was an actual threat; he had a clear mapped out goal and knew exactly how to implement it. Most of the ideologues in the wasteland had vague plan for what they'd do after they achieved their revolution. Reximus had a plan for the next century. He heard a knock at the door and made the short walk across the carpet and opened the door. It was Mirada. And she was wearing a set of very revealing Lingerie. Her body had a mature beauty to it and Rex was immediately reacquainted with Mirada's curves and cleavage. She held a harmonic disruptor in one hand and tapped the antenna before placing it on the wall.

"Mirada what…...?" he began as she planted a deep passionate kiss pushing him back into the room. He fought for only a moment before on instinct his hands began desperately clutching her body. She hadn't changed much he discovered as his hands found the suppleness of her flesh under the silk and before he knew it the lingerie was ripped from back and he felt the creamy smoothness of her skin. Her bare breasts were pressed against his chest as she continued to kiss him deeply and they fell back onto the bed. Mirada's hands ran along his stomach and expertly undid his belt. In desperation he pawed at her and pulled her against him as she wrapped her legs against him; he felt the heat in her body and remembered the fiery intimacy of his youth with Mirada. And just as she managed to undo his zipper something else flashed through his mind. Jack.

An icicle stabbed through his heart as he imagined Jack laughing and giving one of her rare real smiles. He stopped his probing explorations and took Mirada by the shoulders and gently pushed her off of him. Sitting up he cursed and stood up fixing his pants and ignored every natural instinct his body was currently assaulting him with. Mirada sat up and looked at him; her scarred face wreathed in disappointment and what looked like relief.

"I'm sorry but I can't do this" Rex said fixing his shirt and handing Mirada a blanket feeling the sliver of ice dissolve in his chest.

"Let me guess you're in love" Mirada asked wrapping the blanket around her body.

Rex looked at her for a moment and saw the knowing look her mother used to give him when she found them sneaking back from a late night "walk".

"Not love, maybe the start of it" Rex said leaning against a dresser and for just a moment he allowed himself to open up "She's crazy, violent, and foul mouthed, but she's nice to talk to and she's more fragile than she lets on…" just like when they were young Rex found it easy to talk to Mirada and soon without realizing it had talked for almost an hour. When he was done he looked to Mirada and found she was crying.

"She's a lucky girl Rex" Mirada said as the tears fell from her cheek.

"What's wrong?" Rex asked moving towards her.

Mirada raised her hand stopping him and wiped the tears away with the edge of the blanket before smiling at him "it's just nice to know that some part of my husband lives on somewhere."

"What do you mean?" Rex asked his eyes narrowing.

"Rex, the way you talk about your Jack is just like how He used to talk to me" Mirada explained as she took a cigarette from Rex's night stand and she let him light it before continuing "That bastard hasn't so much as touched me in over a century"

"What do you mean? How old are you?"

"one hundred thirty-eight give or take a few years of forced comas" Mirada said taking a long drag of her cigarette "He takes some kind of pleasure in keeping me out of stasis. I think it's whatever's left of his attachment to me honestly."

"How have you lived this long? I've heard some crazy things about institute tech, but over a century with little to no aging is a bit much." Rex asked

"Reximus killed some crazy old man and used his helmet, apparently some alien tech, to make himself smarter and extend both of our lives" Mirada said her legs dangling over the edge of the bed "the centuries have eroded what little humanity the procedure left him."

"Why are you telling me this?" Rex asked "If this is a trap Mirada let's skip to the part where you cackle and call me gullible"

Mirada's eyes locked with his and she sighed before putting the cigarette out in her arm. She didn't even wince as the burning red ember sizzled the flesh of her arm all the while staring into Rex's eyes.

"I haven't felt anything real in over a century Rex" Mirada said her eyes steely "the only good thing I've done with my extended life is keep him from doing to our daughter and Rose what he did with me."

"They aren't as old as you two?"

"They are, but the treatment he created to enhance his intelligence and extend our lives is very finite; he only has one dose left and that bastard wouldn't waste it on Penelope or Rose" Mirada explained brushing away the ash from the cigarette; the burn was already healing "He routinely puts them into cryo-stasis whenever he dosent need them. When he does need them he pumps Rose full of a psycho active that activates her killer personality, and Penelope is so groggy from the thaw he convinces her he's the one truth in the world."

"So he activates some kind of alternate personality with a drug?" Rex asked lighting his own cigarette "Is the old Rose still in there? If she is why didn't she surface when we had her locked up?"

"Yes, she is. That little girl is locked away in the heart of that viper, and she's scared" Mirada said "As for your second question he loaded her up with a bigger dose so it'd last as long as the mission took"

"So let me see if I understand all of this, I'm up against an alternate version of myself lacking any and all empathy who isn't above using his own wife, daughter, and little sister as sex incentive, a lackey, and a brain washed assassin respectively, correct?"

"Yeah that about sums up Reximus" Mirada said rising from the bed holding the blanket to her body she walked over to Rex and placed a hand on his face "Rex, you are the only one who can stop him and save Rose and my daughter" She turned away from him and grabbed the lingerie before moving to the resonator on wall.

Before she could deactivate it Rex asked "What about you? I can save you too"

"No you can't Rex" Mirada said looking back at him a profound weariness in her eyes "I learned a long time ago that I don't deserve to be saved" she placed her hand on the tuning fork and raised a finger to her lips before leaving the room shutting the door behind her.

/

Reximus sat alone in his living room waiting. AN untouched glass of scotch sat in front of him and the remains of a cigar smoldered in an ashtray. When the doors of the elevator opened he saw Mirada wrapped in the blanket step into the entryway.

"Is he satisfied?"

"Yes, I made sure he knew about the fringe benefits of your alliance" Mirada said staring blankly ahead.

"Good, sentimentality and lust; such awful things" Reximus said downing the scotch in one gulp "Tomorrow night Make sure he knows he can have Penelope as well as long as he aligns with me"

"Yes, dear" Mirada said walking forward and placing the harmonic resonator on the table "I made sure you wouldn't have to put up with any primitive noises in your recordings"

"Good, You know how I detest these lower urges of yours; go to your rooms and clean yourself up" Reximus said pouring another glass of scotch before tipping in Mirada's direction "To our world built a new"

For a moment she stared blankly at him before turning towards the bedrooms and when she disappeared Reximus allowed himself one moment of pride at how his plans were falling into place.

/

Far to the east in the heart of Vein's camped forces, a figure darted in between tents and vehicles as the Turncoat legionaries slept. The figure quietly walked up the small hill to where Vein's tent sat with six hardened soldiers guarding its perimeter. The shadowed figure stepped into the flickering light of the torches their face hidden beneath a black hood. One of the soldiers saw them and stepped forward and raised his gun.

"State your business"

The figure raised their hands and uttered "I'm here to speak to Vein"

"What business do you have with the Legate?"

"I'm here to discuss his liberation"

"Are you one of the courier's people?" the guard asked "Vein already discussed his terms with your one eyed woman."

"No, but you could say that Rex and I have a deep connection"

"What is happening Verrick?" Vein asked opening the flap to his tent. In the torch light the massive man's scarred face was almost monstrous.

"This one wishes to speak to you"

"who are you? And why have you interrupted my sleep?" Vein asked the hooded figure.

The stranger chuckled a melodic laugh and lowered the hood. A sharp beautiful woman examined them with deep grey eyes; she adjusted her long red hair and smiled at Vein:

"I'm Roxanne Craster" She said putting out a hand "And I'm here to talk to you about my doppelgangers"

/

Veronica sat behind Rex's desk flitting through battle plans and deployment notes. Her depth perception was screwed until a prosthetic eye could be manufactured, but until then she had to read files at a distance. As she worked she occasionally looked up at video feeds of work in big empty and other sites all around the Mojave as they prepared for the assault on the Legion's base. Veronica herself had spent the last three hours negotiating with Vein and going over the battle plans. They were all scrambling to prepare for the battle, mother ship Zeta was already being fitted with supplementary Laser cannons and her death ray was being recalibrated and restored to full functionality.

The attack itself would happen in less than thirty-six hours. The majority of ground forces would be made up from the turncoat Legionaries while the Mojave forces would support from the sky as the main facility was besieged. A strike team had been formed from Rex's companions and Shepard's crew and would assist in securing Rex as well as breaching the facilities walls. From the reports they were getting from Rex's brain it was clear Rex would attempt to take Mirada, Penelope, and Rose. That would complicate things tremendously, but when had Rex ever made a simple plan? Veronica leaned back and rubbed her temples and winced as she rubbed the still red flesh of her still healing face. She got up and turned to look out the window at the glittering lights of New Vegas and placed her hands against the glass of the window. Most of the people in the city were completely unaware that their leader was now a hostage of the Legion and that in less than two days the Mojave Military was going to war.

In a lot of ways, she envied that ignorance. Part of her wished, as she sometimes did when she felt depressed, that she was still just part of the brotherhood securing food. She shook her head dispelling the thought and walked out of the office towards her suite. Normally she'd crawl into to bed with Christine and try to sleep, but her wife was hard at work on Zeta retrofitting the transporters with better control systems. So with instead of going to her empty home she walked to Rex's.

The workshop was quiet and dark, and as she turned on the lights she saw the carcasses of half completed projects strewn about the room. The room was perforated with the smell of engine oil and cigarette smoke, and as she breathed it in Veronica remembered the day she met Rex Craster:

The day was hot and brutal as the Mojave sun hung above the I88 trade post like an angry eye. Veronica sat on one of the picnic tables absent mindedly fiddling with her power fist as the few traders and travelers willing to brave the mid-day sun filed through the trade post. Most were the drab men and women that made up the "esteemed" members of the local scavenger groups or gamblers on their way in or out of New Vegas. A few were fancier merchants with armed guards who barely acknowledged her existence as they resupplied at the trade post. She should be bartering for food and medicine, but the fresh air and open space always made her procrastinate. Besides, that weird kid below the over pass was always fun to talk to.

A small dust storm was kicking up to the south shrouding the roadway in shifting shade as the sands kicked up. The merchants and traders heading in that direction cursed and quietly held up in different corners of the trade post. Veronica tried to strike up conversation with a few of them, but most of them simply wanted to be left alone. She returned to her perch on the picnic table and contemplated buying an iguana on a stick when she heard an explosion followed by several gunshots. The entire trade post tensed and anyone with a firearm raised it in the direction of the dust storm. Several tense moments ticked by as the dust cloud grew and a man screamed as a green explosion briefly lit up the cloud briefly illuminating the silhouette of several robots and two more human. Then the light was gone and only the sound of the wind remained. A single figure emerged from the dust storm; a tall gaunt looking man emerged with an aloof look on his face.

He wore a leather duster, barely visible under a ridiculous assortment of packs, slings, pockets, and bottles, over a plain white shirt and a faded pair of blue jeans. Across his back was slung a large green travel pack that looked like it would burst open any second, and atop his head under a large stockman style hat were a pair of thick glassed goggles over his eyes. As he walked the duster would part and reveal the glint of two pistols on his hips. As he walked towards the outpost a loud clanging could be heard behind him and from the dust a sparking sentry bot rolled out of the dust storm and landed in a roadside ditch with a clanging thud, and as the dust gradually cleared Veronica saw that behind him strewn all about the ground were the remains of several Mr. Gutsys and on the ground the still form of a raider decked out in metal armor still smoking from a green plasma charge. Behind the man a large floating eye droid drifted lazily in circles over the remains of the battle firing a small laser into the metal of the mister Gutsys.

The man walked past the armed guards, who lowered their guns as he approached, and placed a small fusion cell on the counter of the trade booth.

"This a good trade for some road supplies for four and some lunch?" He asked, his tone detached.

Michelle Kerr looked at him a bit dumbfounded before looking at the sell and back to the man "Um, yeah this'll get three days of food and water and I'll throw in some Roasted Iguana as well"

"That'd be great thank you" The man said smiling at her.

As she prepared the goods a caravan guard walked up to the stranger and asked, gun stilled raised:

"What was that all about?"

The stranger turned to the man and regarded him with a look reminiscent of a man looking over a houseplant.

"He was lying in wait a half klick to the south probably setting up an ambush with those robots" The stranger explained as Michelle placed the pack of supplies, which the small floating robot lifted with a claw from its underside and floated away back to the south, and a roasted iguana on the counter "Thank you Miss" The stranger turned to walk away towards the picnic tables when the guard tapped his back with the barrel of his rifle.

"I'm not done talking to you boy"

The stranger placed the iguana back on the counter and slowly turned around to face the man removing his goggles as he turned. Two grey eyes stared at the man with such rage and contempt that made the guard back up a step and loosen the grip on the gun. The stranger stepped forward and let the barrel of the gun touch his chest before smiling a vicious smile.

"Go ahead shoot me" The stranger said raising his hands above his head.

The guard scowled and pulled the trigger and a split second before the gun fire the man's left knee exploded in a mist of blood. He fell to the ground screaming, and as his friends dragged him away making sure their guns were holstered, and the stranger grabbed the rifle and expertly disassembled it before placing the pieces on the counter. The stranger gave a thumbs up towards the south before turning to Michelle and said:

"Sorry Ma'am was he yours?"

"No he wasn't, he drew on you first so don't worry about it" Michelle said taking the gun pieces behind the counter.

The stranger nodded and took his supplies and roasted Iguana and walked over to a picnic table next to Veronica's. He shrugged of his pack and placed it on the picnic table and placed his hat on top of it revealing slicked back red hair and a tightly wrapped head bandage. His goggles were still around his neck and the assortment of extra bobbles were still strapped to him, and they clinked and jingled as the wind blew. Veronica looked at him with look between suspicion and curiosity and was contemplating talking to him when he spoke first:

"Nice power fist; custom job?"

"Oh, yeah I've been fiddling with it for years"

"Nice, more of a gun man myself, but I can see the appeal in being able to punch through steel" The stranger said quietly assessing the power fist before offering his hand "Rex Craster"

Veronica shook his hand and said "Veronica Sant'Angelo"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Veronica"

"Thanks it's always fun meeting someone interesting" Veronica replied before asking "No offense, but you look like you've been walking for a long time, where'd you come from?"

"Oregon" Rex said biting into the crispy flesh of the iguana "you?".

"a hole in the ground" Veronica replied "Well more a bunker than just a hole in the ground, but I think it's a better conversation starter my way."

"A bunker, huh?" The stranger said.

"Yep, but I'm not there much anymore. I'm topside most days gathering food and medicine for my family; Someone has to bring some food home you know?"

"Yeah, I know how that is" Rex said a sad look crossing his face for an instant.

"So, let me ask a question on the level" Veronica said "I ran into this weird group recently, the brotherhood of steel, what do you think of them?"

Rex looked at her for a moment before answering "Considering I'm talking to a member right now your "family" is generally harmless unless you have some advanced tech."

Veronica blinked at him before recoiling "How'd you know I'm brotherhood?"

Rex smiled and said "I didn't, it was a guess and you just confirmed it; not many people have the know how to keep a bunker running and suddenly bringing them up out of blue made it real obvious."

"I'm that easy to read?" Veronica asked.

"Yep, I assume a poker face isn't something your taught as an acolyte?"

"No it isn't" Veronica said frowning.

"Don't worry about it, and I really don't mind the brotherhood though"

"Thank you that's good to hear" Veronica said relieved "So, where you heading?"

"The Strip" Rex answered eating the last bit of meat off the lizard "returning a friends lighter"

"that's a long way to go to return a lighter" Veronica said "You must have a real special relationship to go that far"

"we have some unfinished business" Rex said tossing the remains of the iguana into a trash can before standing to leave "Stay safe out here Veronica"

"Hey, you know you're the first person I've seen who looks like he can handle himself, how about we travel together" Veronica offered "There are places I could never get to on my own, but if we traveled together I can see all kinds of new places. So what do you say?"

Rex looked her up and down quietly sizing her up before looking her straight in the eyes and saying "I'm not exactly on a leisure tour of the Mojave"

"I know, it's just I've never been to the Strip, or half of the Mojave for that matter, and you can always use another set of eyes watching your back"

"Alright you'll fit right in with my merry group of misfits just fine I think" Rex said lighting a cigarette "come on my companions are waiting for me a little to the south."

As she returned from her reminisce Veronica looked up to Rex's bedroom and saw a light shining through the small window and a figure shuffling around inside the room. Veronica grabbed a pistol from one of Rex's many gun caches, and silently crept across the hard concrete floor and up the stairs to the bedroom. The door hung open and through it bathed in the sterile light of a swinging lightbulb stood Jack with her back to Veronica amongst the cluttered mess of Rex's quarters. The place looked trashed, but Veronica didn't know if that was from Rex's general sense of chaotic organization or Jack. She lowered her gun and knocked on the door jam. Jack surprised turned around quickly a surprised look on her face.

"Veronica" she said flustered for only a moment before reassuming her usual stand offish stance "what are you doing here?"

"I'm on a walk decided to check in on Rex's house; make sure no one stole his lunch box collection" Veronica said eyebrow raised "What are you doing here?"

Jack scowled at her apparently trying to come up with a good response before slamming her fist into the wall and sighing "If I tell you, you can never utter a word of this to Rex"

"Alright" Veronica said placing the gun on a counter and sitting down in the only available chair in the room.

"I was in the Big empty, for some reason Shepard's has me monitoring Rex's brain feed" Jack began.

"Did something happen? I haven't been watching the feed" Veronica asked reaching down and fiddling with a floor panel.

"Yeah, the copy of his wife came on to him, and for just a fucking instant I was jealous" Jack explained "You know who wouldn't be, somehow that bastard gotten on my good side, but then you know I was accepting of it; we haven't fucked and it's not liked he's proposed or anything, but then that fucking idiot turned her away and you want to know why?"

"Why?" Veronica asked popping the floor panel out.

"He thought of me while she was pawing all over him" Jack said fuming.

"That's a bad thing?" Veronica asked feeling around for something in the small compartment beneath the panel.

"Yes it fucking is" Jack said scowling at her "Because most men would think of my ass or something, but this mother fucker thinks of my laugh. Then he goes on a tangent about how he might be falling in love with me, can you fucking believe that."

"SO you don't have any feelings for him then?" Veronica asked pulling a big whiskey bottle out of the hole.

Jack looked at her for a moment and then her face softened "It's not that, if I'm honest then yeah I have feelings for the skinny bastard, but that doesn't mean he has the right to love me. He only thinks he's in love; he'll get tired of me soon enough and bug out the moment he can get rid of me."

Veronica fetched two glasses from a cabinet and poured them each a stiff drink "You know Jack you're the first girl I've ever seen Rex actually enjoy being around."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Most women he puts on the mask and smooth talks them or in the case of Shepard negotiates" Veronica takes a drink and looks at Jack "You on the other hand, he actually talks to you as Rex; not the courier, not as the leader of the Mojave, and when he talks about you it's the only time I've ever seen him truly happy."

Jack downed the glass in one gulp and placed the glass back on the counter "Yeah, I got that."

"Jack He's serious about you" Veronica said considering all Jack said "If he turned down Mirada, the woman who has been at the center of his redemption fantasies for the last decade, for you then he may actually be in love."

"God damn it" Jack said pouring another drink and gulping it down.

"So, you trashed his place because he said he might be falling for you?" Veronica asked.

"Yes, if you hadn't guessed I'm kind of a crazy bitch" Jack said flipping her off before eying the tattoo on Veronica's arm "What's with the tat?"

"A reminder; My family, the brother hood attacked a convoy because they were transporting a Pre-war laser weapon to the NCR, and they killed three people two adults and one kid" Veronica explained.

"Oh shit that's serious" Jack said "Uh sorry for bringing it up"

"Don't be it happened a while ago" Veronica said "I'm not the one who has to make peace with their actions. Rex had to prevent an incident with the NCR and ran them out of the Mojave, after that they split up and I barely hear from any of them."

Well, I think we need a fucking toast" Jack said raising her glass "To old baggage and new beginnings"

They clinked their glasses together and gulped down their drinks


	18. The Bulle and the Swarm

Thirty-four hours later….

As the sun set on the Legion base the thousands of Legionaries around it's perimeter prepared to switch patrol shifts and fastened supports to the myriad of mechanical Mantis vehicles. Those coming off patrol barely noticed the wind kicking up and small dust devils forming all around them, as they made their way to mess tent or their sleeping tents. Their compatriots who were beginning the night watch and work shifts all noted the large sandstorm approaching from the west. Commanders ordered all tents sealed and vehicles covered against the coming onslaught of sand and wind. Just as the storm reached the camp the Legionaries sealed the massive doors leading into the complex built into the rocky plateau. None of them noticed a small rolling form darting across the sand and through the blast doors as they sealed.

One Commander stationed at the door guardhouse did notice that the mug he left on a barricade had vanished.

/

Rex had been returned to his room just after sunset, and was currently whistling to himself. It would be any day when Vein and the Mojave would spring their trap. Of course if Vein was going to betray the Mojave it may hamper escape. Trying not to think about that Rex heard a sound like a laser powering up and then a soft thud outside his door. When he reached the door and opened it instead of seeing the guard assigned to his Rex saw a corpse with a smoking rectangular hole in his chest wires and burning red metal where blood and flesh should have been. Jittering in front of the corpse stood Muggy, who held a laser equipped Toaster in his tiny hands and had a mug sitting on his forehead. Rex looked down the hallway both ways before dragging the synth into his room and gesturing for Muggy and Toaster to follow.

When he had stowed the body in the closet Rex looked to Muggy who placed Toaster on the ground and rotated around and opened his back hatch. In the hatch Rex found a small tool kit and a rectangular box the size of a pack of cigarettes. Realizing the use for the tool kit Rex quickly opened his arm up and found the bug and removed it before going to the bathroom and turning on the shower. He left the bug in the shower before returning to the bedroom.

"FINALLY I MAY SPEAK! BEWARE ME FLESHLING I HAVE AQAUIRED AN ACTUAL LASER ARRAY AND AM NOW A GOD! BWU HA HA" the toaster said before Rex kicked him across the room.

"Shut up you idiot" He whispered leaning down to Muggy "What's the plan?"

"You use that Transportalponder there to bring the extraction team here" Muggy whispered "You can extract your special cargo while the assault teams begin the siege"

"How long do we have?"

"They'll start once you hit the button" Muggy explained "you might want to trigger it in the hallway though"

"Why?"

"WE got some big guns coming through" Muggy said before rubbing his claw hands together "Requesting permission to take any mugs I find sir?

"Granted, just as long as you keep an eye on toaster" Rex said grabbing the toaster who had been quietly fuming.

"AIM ME AT SOMETHING LIVING! I WANT TO SEE THE LIFE LEAVE THEIR EYES AS I BURN THEIR TESTES TO ASH"

Rex bashed the toaster against the wall to shut it up and exited the room. He placed the toaster on the floor and clicked the small red button on the square bathing the hallway in blue light. Suddenly six figures stood around him: Thane, Sally, Lily, Kasumi, Veronica, and Jack.

He almost got a greeting out to Veronica when a fist collided with his face. Jack had rushed him and decked him with a powerful fist, but when he raised his hand to stop another punch she grabbed him and kissed him deeply. When their lips parted Rex stared a little shocked.

"I'm getting some very mixed messages here" Rex said.

"Get used to it carrot top" Jack said smirking at him.

Rex smiled back and was about to speak when Lilly wrapped him an iron strong hug.

"Oh grandma's so happy her favorite grandson is safe" Lilly said loudly as she constricted Rex.

"It's great to see you to Lily, but please stop hugging me so I can breathe" Rex said as Lilly released him form the hold and patted him on the head.

After regaining his breath Rex noticed a large green pack slung over Veronica's shoulder.

"Is that for me by any chance?" Rex asked.

"Yep, I know how you hate to start a war underdressed" Veronica said placing the pack on the ground and undid the strap opening the pack.

Rex pulled out his modified stealth armor, a bundled leather duster, a pair of red glassed goggles, and a modified pistol slightly newer than his old one, a belt of shiny metal spheres, and a long bundled pack.

"oh Veronica, you didn't" Rex said rubbing his hands together as he unrolled the pack and revealed a large metal arm much larger than Rex's current arm.

The mechanical arm was made from the same black metal as Rex's current arm, but it's fore arm was more cylindrical and diveted on the sides with small cut out sections in the metal. The hand was much larger and blockier with a small pad of a black flexible metal wiring tightly compacted into a sheet on the hand's palm.

"The Pitcher, eh? I would have gone with the Aegis, but nice choice" Rex said as he disconnected his older arm letting it fall to the floor as Lily and Veronica helped him attach the Bruiser.

"What's so special about this arm?" Jack asked.

"It has a small prototype mass effect field generator inside of it; if it doesn't blow up it should allow me to pull off some nifty tricks" Rex explained as the arm came online and let out a loud whirring noise as Rex flexed his fingers. When the arm was properly calibrated the Rex pulled the goggles over his eyes and the red glass glowed softly outwardly, but to Rex's vision the world was overlaid with readouts and diagnostics. He saw an ammo counter in the corner of his vision and a cross hair at the center of his vision. Experimentally he drew the gun, and found the cross moved with the gun's line of sight.

"You know I just love technology" Rex said smiling as he holstered the weapon and lit a cigarette.

"Thank Tali for those; she booted up an old V.I and modified your goggles" Veronica explained as she powered up her dual power fists "We have ten minutes until things "heat up" outside."

"Let's hurry then" Rex said remembering the layout of the tunnel system "This mission is a dual rescue and capture; We need to secure or eliminate Reximus before our forces outside breach the doors. Mirada, Penelope, and Rose are to be captured alive, but if you have to take them out."

The assembled group nodded in agreement and drew their weapons. Rex nodded to Veronica and Jack to take the front with him and instructed Lily to hold the rear, Muggy and Toaster would stay in the area and blast anyone who tried to follow them, and they moved down the hallway towards the heart of the facility, and Reximus himself.

/

Outside the facility the dust storm began to fade away and many of the Legionaries reluctantly resumed their duties. The night sky was clear above them with a thousand glittering stars shining down onto them. Suddenly the camp was illuminated with orange light as four dozen balls of fire ignited in the upper atmosphere and screamed downward towards the encamped soldiers. They scattered and took cover as all over the camp leaving flaming craters where tents and mechs once stood; now replaced by sleek whit monoliths. Then in a flash of orange light dozens of power armored soldiers streamed through followed shortly behind by medium armored troops bearing the markings of the Mojave and the Legion force under the command of Legate Vein.

The legionaries began to fight back but most were still stunned by the impact, and as laser fire mowed down the inexperienced and green only the veteran Legion soldiers managed to restore some form of discipline amongst the ranks. The scattered Legionaries drew their weapons and activated the massive Mantis like mechs and soon the power armored soldiers grappled with the Mechs as their comrades engaged the forces of the Legion foot soldiers. A second wave of assailants materialized in a flashes of blue and orange; instead of men in power armor thousands of Securitrons began their own assault targeting the massive Mantis like Mechs with rocket fire and the smaller fleshier targets with laser fire. The legionaries were divided and scattered as the enemy force surgically cut through their camp; destroying ammo and weapon depots as well as the camp's radio towers. The Legionaries who had been lucky enough to near the center of camp managed to call a retreat towards the facility. The Legion commanders not cut off by the attack ordered their soldiers to form up behind the barricades circling the facility and around the blast doors.

They tried to Radio other parts of the camp and command, but almost all frequencies were jammed with a man's voice:

"This is Dean Domino live from Mother Ship Zeta; singing all of my famous hits and some of my exclusive new music composed for all of those Legionaries who are music lovers at heart."

In the midst of this Chaos a group of a dozen vehicles materialized on the battlefield right in front of the compound's blast doors and began firing at the assembled Legion forces with Laser, Plasma, and conventional bullets before turning to their sides, metal barricades unfolding from their frames, allowing the foot soldiers to use the vehicles as cover. Their top mounted turrets began chipping away at the barricades forcing the Legion soldiers back to the walls of the Plateau that housed the facility.

There should have been a backup from within the Facility where the Legions Power armored troops were stationed, but as the battle wore on there was no sight of the Armored Bulls. The night sky was orange as the fire of the burning camp illuminated the desert landscape with shifting orange light, and the smell of ash and death permeated the air. Still the Legion fought on even though their destruction was ensured as waves of enemies still streamed into the camp from the white monoliths like demons from hell. As the fighting went on the Legionaries hold up near the blast doors heard scattered reports from all over the camp through the ghoulish song:

"We…wi…not...fal"

"Prai….se Octa...ian"

"Fig…t…..broth...ers"

"ALL IS LOST"

The last message played out in absolute clarity and as the Legionaries heard it the sky erupted in flame as a massive disk glowing as bright as the sun appear above them. They stared at it for a moment, and then a lone legionary raised his gun towards the of Vehicles and screamed "Today is a good day to die Brothers". Then came shouts of agreement and the Legionaries began to fire at the line of vehicles with reckless abandon, and as their brothers fell around them a bloodlust took them. Fighting like men possessed when a legionary ran out of ammo he would rush the line of vehicles with knives or bayonets but were quickly gunned down. Those who kept slightly more level heads managed to hold their position and stole ammo off the bodies of their fallen brothers. They held their line bravely and with the abandon of dead men, but that could only hold so long and soon the only remaining resistance were a dozen or so ragged exhausted men.

A team of Rocketeers appeared atop the Vehicles and took aim at the doors and fired three volleys of small rockets that split into dozens of small cigar sized missiles that bore into the hard metal of the door. They sank in like hot stones into snow and the door began to warp and melt on its hinges as globs of hot metal flowed down at the feet of the retreating Legionaries. The assault vehicles parted slightly to allow large rockets to be fired towards the barricades smashing the weakened concrete and burying themselves into the sand around the door before releasing a thick green gas into the air around the door. Someone fired a gun and the gas lit up in a brilliant blaze of green flame that charred anyone in the blast radius and further dispersing the legion forces away from the door. The door finally collapsed into itself and opened the way into the facility, and a single armored tractor trailer materialized in blue light behind the line and sped towards the door in reverse through the gap in armored vehicles and lodged its back hatch to its trailer into the now open doorway. The Facility had been breached.

/

Reximus sat in the command center of the facility glaring at the monitors as he watched the Legion be ripped apart outside his doors. Slamming his fist onto the console Reximus rose and summoned his pawns. Octavian and Athena appeared behind him; their massive forms taking up the entire hallway. As he walked and Artemis saddled up beside him picking something out of her teeth with a knife. They reached the audience room where Octavian met with commanders and Legates. The room was bustling with servants and honor guard soldiers, and when Octavian entered the room they all froze and bowed deeply.

"Disengage shadow puppet protocol and engage siege counter measures" Reximus yelled at the assembled synths "I want the courier secured immediately and bring my Wife and Daughter here now"

They sprang into action at once and the throne room's walls shifted and split revealing lines of turrets that slid out to aim at the door. Mirada and Penelope were escorted in by a guard and after they were secured behind the lines of turrets Reximus ordered the massive doors to the throne room sealed. After the door locked behind the last synth Reximus went to the throne and sat in it. A bank of screens rose out of the ground and displayed video feeds of the facility; he typed commands into the small keypads built into the arms of the throne and switched the feeds until he found the hallway outside Rex's quarters finding it empty with the door wide open he scanned through the feeds until finding Rex working his way through the hallways accompanied by a small group of people and a super mutant.

"How the hell did they get in here?" Reximus yelled sending synths after Rex "It won't matter in a moment once my synths kill them."

"Oh brother let me kill him please" Artemis pleading.

He looked at her for a moment and then tossed her one of his revolvers "Make him suffer first"

"Oh I will" Artemis said leaving the throne room.

/

Shepard fired her gun at the Legionaries huddled against an upended set of power armor. Most of her squad and Rex's companions had already taken defensive positions further into the facility, but she had held back with the general Mojave troops participating in the breach. She ran to cover behind a fusion cell charging station and exchanged a nod with a female commander ordering the soldiers to advance.

"Where the hell is everyone?" Shepard yelled "I thought this was the enemy stronghold."

They had only encountered small clusters of resistance, all synth, and had only been snagged by this defensive clustered amongst the remains of the power armor sets.

"Intel suggests the facility had a minimal staff, ma'am" the commander replied her face and head obscured by a combat helmet "General Cass ordered us to secure the labs just there beyond the power Armor" She pointed to a stark white set of doors just beyond the legionaries "Intel suggests there's a supply of chemical weapons inside that they'll vent on Reximus's orders."

"Well we better secure them then" Shepard said taking a grenade from her belt and tossing it at one of the clusters of soldiers. The explosion caught two as they fled and a third's back was pierced with a shard of metal and he fell. More grenades flew across the room and uprooted the Legionnaires to be shot as they fled. When a path cleared to the ab's doors Shepard and the commander dashed across the still smoking ground to the door where the commander stuck a device into the electric lock and sent a jolt of energy into the mechanics forcing the doors to pop open. They entered the dark laboratory with three other soldiers alongside them and quietly made their way through the labs.

At the back of the room an armored door stood open and when Shepard looked into the small room beyond she saw two Legion scientists carefully transferring a vial full of a greenish blue serum into a refrigerated cylinder.

"Freeze" Shepard said causing the scientists to pause only for their heads to explode a second later in a spray of sparks and oil dropping the cylinder. Shepard whipped around and was met with the commander pushing a damp rag on her mouth. Immediately she tried to fight but fatigue seeped into her muscles and she was suddenly dizzy. The commander lowered her to the floor and propped Shepard against a wall before removing her combat helmet and goggles. She had short red hair and a hard edged, but beautiful face and deep grey eyes.

"Sorry about this Shepard, but I really need what's in that vial" The woman said kneeling down in front of Shepard and running a hand across her jaw "Damn, do you always have to be such a looker?"

Shepard's eyes grew heavy and the last thing she saw before darkness took her was the woman grabbing the cylinder and blowing her a kiss before leaving the room.

/

Rex quietly crossed the hallways with his allies following close behind when an alarm sounded and the lights switched to red.

"Well, looks like they've started the party" Jack said joining him at a corner wall.

"Yeah, hopefully they'll draw some of the heat off of us" Rex said peeking around a corner only to be greeted by a hail of bullets "Okay, maybe not."

He grabbed one of the small metal balls from his belt and held it in his left and the arm began to emit a whirring noise as red bolts of energy spiraled around the orb causing it to begin a rapid spin. The orb began to glow and whistle as it spun and Rex gestured to Lily to lay down some covering fire. She drew a mini-gun up and began firing at the synths shredding one and forcing his friends to retreat behind a corner. When the stopped firing popped out of cover and with a pitchers throw pitched the orb across hall way and when it collided with the wall it released a massive amount of kinetic energy decimating a good five feet of wall on either side rupturing pipes and ripping wires out of walls. The legionaries who weren't killed by the impact were sprayed with hot steam and sludge, and Lilly made quick work of them.

"Holy shit" Jack exclaimed "What the hell was that?"

Rex grabbed another orb from his belt and held it up "Eezo core wrapped in pure tungsten; this arm is a miniature kinetic driver. The sheer force of impact is equal to that of a demolition charge."

"Oh hush now Leo you know how infirm little Rex is" Lilly muttered to herself as she walked ahead of them "We can't have too much fun or he'll get upset"

Jack laughed loudly and Rex sighed before waving them all on. They made their way through the halls of the complex slowly as scores of synths attacked them. For every one they killed it seemed there were two to take its place, and whenever Rex rounded a corner every synth seemed to lock in on him alone.

"You know I love attention but this ridiculous" Rex said ducking into an awning as a hail of gunfire and threw an orb into the turret chipping away at the concrete. The orb collapsed the metal outer shell and blew out it's back side shredding the body to bits. Across the hall Veronica just shrugged and tossed a plasma grenade at the hallway's opposite corner, and after it blew sizzling green plasma onto a waiting group of synths rushed forward and quickly caved in their metal heads with her power fists. Rex looked down at his arm and found it was smoking and it fingers were sluggish.

"What's wrong?" Sally asked him crawling out of a vent; she had been moving through some of the larger vents to give them heads up. Her attention was currently divided between rex and bobbing her head in and out of the doorway.

"The field manipulator is destabilizing" Rex explained as he pressed a button and vented a plume of hot air "That'll buy me time, but I need to wrap this up soon or all that'll be left of me is a smear on the wall."

"That sounds bad, Mister Courier sir" Sally said starry eyed.

"You okay kid?"

"Yes sir it's just you're sooooo cool" Sally said "Captain Alyssa is really cool too, but you're like way cooler don't tell her I said that though"

"I won't" Rex said smiling as he lit another cigarette "Where is Alyssa anyway?".

"Taking care of the wounded up on the mother ship" Sally answered before her face twisted into a shocked expression and a dribble of blood leaked out of her mouth "That really hurts".

She fell limp into Rex's arms and he saw a throwing knife imbedded into her back and barely had enough time to use her as a shield as another flew through the air burying itself into the now dead Sally's back. The others shouted as Artemis ran at him though the carnage of the hall. Veronica grabbed her with her powerful fists and wrenching her body like a javelin thrower and threw Artemis into a wall with resounding crack as she hit the wall.

Artemis recovered almost immediately and stabbed a blade into one of Veronica's arms making her recoil backwards before Artemis kicked her in the stomach forcing Veronica back a few inches. The assassin slid down the wall and kicked Veronica's legs out before slamming her head into the concrete floor before vaulting towards Rex as she drew a revolver. Jack raised her shotgun but wasn't quite fast enough and got the butt of the revolver in the face sending her into the wall while Artemis fired the revolver at Lilly's head. Rex heard her scream in pain as the bullet ripped through half of her face. Thane ran at Artemis as she grabbed a flash bang grenade off Jack and fired his pistols at her grazing her arm and landing a shot in her side while Kasumi cloaked and appeared immediately to Artemis's side to stab her with an electrical prod. Artemis in a blur of motion tossed the flashbang above her and Rex saw her eyes turn grey as It triggered sending both of her assailants reeling back in pain. This all happened within moments; she was fast, and still in the haze of the flash bang Artemis turned and flung herself at Rex. In the few seconds between her eyes shifting back to normal and her the start of her dash Rex raised his gun and fired two bullets at her legs, and when she moved to attack him she placed both her knees in their path. The bullets collided with her knees and they burst in a cloud of blood and sinew sending her reeling forward in a maelstrom of blood and screams.

When she slammed into the ground Rex ran forward and flipped her over; her legs were barely connected by thin strips of nerve and muscle. Rex took three stimpaks from his belt and stabbed them into her thighs causing them to heal over the wounds before drawing a knife and severed the ragged strips of flesh still connecting her calves to her thighs to prevent them from healing and watched as the stumps healed over. All the while Artemis clawed at him, and when her hands landed on the metal of his left arm they burned and cooked. Like a wild animal she fought and clawed at him through the pain even after skin of her hands began to cook. Rex stabbed her through the shoulder pinning her to the ground and grabbed her neck with his right hand.

"Stay down Rose" He yelled.

"I'm not Rose, you sentimental fool; she died a century ago" Artemis said spitting in his face barely conscious "You can never undo what you did"

Rex let her pass out and stabilized her. When it was clear she wouldn't die he rose and wiped her spit and blood off of his face. He drew the knife out of her shoulder, and let it go letting it clink on the floor. Then he sank back against the wall and put his head in his hands and screamed as loud as he could. Jack sat down next to him and gently placed an arm around his shoulders. When he was done screaming he looked at Jack and sighed before looking at the rest of the group. Thane and Kasumi were still recovering from the flash bang while Veronica helped Lilly bandage her face. Rex rose to his feet and went to light a cigarette before a feeling of revulsion erupted in his stomach and crushed the pack in his hand and tossed it on the ground. He zip-tied Rose's hands behind her back and locked her in the storage room, and when they all had recovered at least slightly Rex spoke:

"It's time we killed this mother fucker"

/

Reximus sat on his throne fuming as he watched Rex fell Artemis and make the final few hundred yards to the throne room door. He pressed a button dismissing the screens and aimed all of the turrets in the room at the entrance to the throne room their motors humming as a silence creeped over the room. Athena drew her chrome sub machine gun and Octavian grabbed bumper sword off the wall while Mirada held Penelope back in a corner.

"Mirada come here my love" Reximus said no hint of warmth in his voice.

She did, but slowly. When she was at his side he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her face an inch from his own.

"You lying bitch this is your doing isn't it? I give you everything I make you immortal and this is how you thank me" Reximus said his other hand reaching for his remaining revolver "How about I give Rex your traitorous head as a gift, eh?"

Mirada said nothing, but her eyes held rage; a rage that gave Reximus pause. In those few seconds of pause Mirada reached behind her back and took a kitchen knife from the folds of her dress and stabbed it into his throat.

"Go to hell Rex"

Reximus grabbed at the blade and even as he convulsed in pain tried to pull the blade out. He sputtered out blood and in seconds went limp. Penelope screamed and Octavian and Athena turned to see their leader dead.

"Mom why did you do that? Why did you kill dad?"

"He was a monster Penelope you know it just as much as I do" Mirada said taking her daughter's face in her hands deliberately placing herself in between Penelope and the synths "You're free now baby; never forget that I love you". Then Mirada jerked forwards as a hail of bullets shot into her back and she fell to the ground. Athena had shot her.

"MOM!" Penelope yelled as she caught her mother. She lowered her to the ground and cradled her in her arms "Mom no please don't die."

Mirada raised her hands to caress Penelope's face and with a smile on her face said "Help the courier; he's the only one who can keep you safe."

Her mother's arms went limp and fell to the ground and Penelope looked up to see Octavian running at her with his bumper sword raised. She leapt to the console, dodging a hail of bullets as Athena took at aim and activated the throne's console still soaked in her father's blood and told the turrets to target Athena and Octavian. The turrets swiveled and riddled Athena with high caliber bullets the massive woman was torn to shreds as the bullets ripped through the artificial flesh and the circuits beneath it. The turrets tried to turn to assault Octavian but they weren't designed to fire directly in front of the throne not at the throne itself. So Octavian only suffered minor wounds and when reached the throne he brought the bumper sword down and Penelope barely dodged as the blade was buried into her father's corpse.

"Octavian stand down" She yelled backing up behind the throne "command sequence Alpha Epsilon Omega"

The synth looked at her for a moment and when his systems didn't shut down grinned an evil grin.

"It's time to join your parents, child" Octavian said pulling the bumper sword out of her father's corpse with a sickening squelch sound. Penelope backed up further and hit the wall as Octavian rushed her with the blade, and just as he brought the blade down his head exploded into a spray of sparks and artificial blood. She felt the wall behind her shudder and crack as it collapsed she lunged forward out of the way as a cascade of stone fell around her. When she looked up she saw Octavian half buried under the stone his arms still gripping the massive sword, and as she turned her head towards the entrance she saw the Courier standing there.

His arm was raised and bolts of red energy danced across the stone as his arm began to glow and smoke. When he saw the carnage inside the room his face changed from hardened concentration to mournful realization. He walked into the room alone and holstered his gun while detaching his robotic arm to smolder on the ground. When he ascended the dais and stood before her he looked at the grisly scene atop the dais before letting out a deep sigh. Finally, he looked at Penelope and said nothing as he sadly examined her face.

Rage filled her and she rushed at him to slam her fists into his chest as the tears began to stream down her face:

"you fucking bastard" she screamed as she punched at his chest "this is all your fault; you're the reason she killed my father and why they killed her. If we had never involved ourselves with you they'd be alive"

"why did you kill Octavian and Athena?" Rex asked coldly.

"What?" Penelope asked backing up a little.

"Why'd you turn the turrets on them?" Rex asked his gaze a harsh stare "You didn't have to realign the turrets and open the door, why did you?"

"They were going to kill me" Penelope said backing up further "I had to; they probably thought I was working with my mother"

"Don't kid yourself Penelope; your father probably had orders to end you if something happened to him" Rex explained "A man like him would rather have his empire burn to ashes then be under anyone else's control."

"No you're wrong" Penelope said backing into the concrete wall "My father loved me; I was his heir"

"He never planned to die" Rex said stepping forward "the man was immortal and planned to keep it that way; you know it just as much as I do."

"No no no" Penelope muttered as she sank to the floor. She began to sob into her hands as she collapsed into herself.

"If you truly believed he loved you then you wouldn't have opened that door" Rex said sadly before kneeling down beside Mirada's body. Her dead eyes stared up at the floor a smile still plastered on her face. He leaned down and closed her eyes before kissing her forehead before laying his duster over her body "I guess I couldn't save you this time either, eh Mira?"

Rex collapsed onto his knees and punched the hard concrete of the floor stifling a yell. Soon when he regained control of himself Rex stood with blood dripping from his knuckles, and took a deep breath. He turned to the bloody form of Reximus and pulled his corpse out of the seat and took a seat on the bloody throne. The others would reach him in a moment, but for now he overlooked the carnage of the room it's space as it filled with shadowy phantoms. The only noise in the room came from Penelope as she sobbed into her hands, and so they silently stared at him, his ghosts. Mirada stood before him, his Mirada, pregnant with the child that never lived hand in hand with the older alternate Mirada. Both smiled sadly at Rex and he noticed that tears were streaming down the older Mirada's face. So there he sat, a broken king on a throne of blood, until his ghosts faded to mist and the rest of his group arrived.

/

Alyssa wiped blood from her hands as she stepped back from the surgery table. The man on the table was one of the wounded teleported up to Zeta from the ground. He had been shot through the left leg, and had injected a stimpak sealing the bullet into the middle of his tendon. She had to cut into the man's leg and retrieve the bullet before it did more permanent damage to the nerves and muscles. When she had retrieved the bullet she had stepped back and immediately prepared for another wounded soldier, but as the fighting on the ground came to a gradual stop less wounded needed to be teleported to Zeta. She ordered more medics around the massive surgical area set up in one of the cavernous rooms aboard Zeta.

Alyssa had spent the last few hours operating on a never ending line of seriously injured soldiers full of bullets and shrapnel. Six had died on the operating table while eight had pulled through. She hadn't minded the work; it kept her mind off her people in the thick of the fighting down below. Sarah was leading her pack on the ground with Fawkes at her side while Sally was part of the team responsible for finding Rex. She hoped Sally would come out of it okay; despite dodging aliens for years the girl was still a bit reckless and careless at the age of eighteen. Of course Alyssa knew what volunteering Sally entailed, and she knew sending her into the heart of an enemy stronghold. There was a definite chance she wouldn't be coming back.

As she walked to a wash area a hub a bub started and she turned to see a commotion near one of the teleporters. She saw the courier step through the orange haze missing an arm with a nasty burn across his left shoulder. His normal intense aura was gone and his face was drawn in a contemplative frown as he shrugged off a duster and ordered personnel around as a nurse slathered stim-gel over the burn on his exposed stump of a left arm. The other members of the strike team materialized on the pad behind him, and in the arms of the big super mutant named Lilly was Sally limp and lifeless in the super mutant's arms. Alyssa felt like she had been punched in the stomach and placed a hand over her mouth as the Courier approached.

"Alyssa, she saved my life" Rex said placing his hand on her shoulder "If she hadn't been standing where she was I would have been killed by the blade, I know it hurts, but you should be proud."

Alyssa said nothing for a moment allowing her breathing to normalize "Thank you sir; I was always proud of her"

Rex nodded and lowered his hand before Lilly placed Sally's body on an operating table before turning around revealing the prone form of an unconscious woman. Lilly allowed some nurses to untie the woman and Rex ordered them to restrain the woman, and lock her in isolation. Alyssa looked down at Sally's body and folded her arms over her chest. She allowed herself a sigh before straightening to see the courier already moving away from the area towards the communications section of the ship.

By the end of the day fifteen hundred Mojave troops had died with three hundred injured. Amongst the losses eighteen Capital Wastelanders died in the fighting. Without the added force from the Midwest brotherhood of steel and the turncoat legion the losses would have been astronomically higher. Exactly how Veronica managed to mobilize not only the forces of Midwest brotherhood, but the entire host of the turncoat Legion as well was a mystery to anyone not aware of the growing teleportation network the Midwest Brotherhood of steel had been building with support from the Mojave.

Alyssa walked amongst her people checking injuries and making sure they were fed and comfortable until they were cleared to return to New Colombia. Eighteen bodies would be returning with them in modified cryo-coffins until they could be laid to rest. Alyssa looked through the group and saw Sarah's power armor, a massive chunk of its chest plate had been melted away by a chemical weapon, standing over her pride members as they rested; Sarah herself was propped against a wall behind her armor topless saved for the bandages wrapped around her chest covering a chemical burn. The weapon barely touched her skin, but had caused deep red irritation to spread across her skin before it was nullified by the armor's emergency suppression system.

When she walked over to her friend Alyssa checked her bandages before quietly sitting next to Sarah. Sarah produced a flask from her pocket and took a draw before handing it to Alyssa.

"She was a good soldier" Sarah said allowing Alyssa to drink a gulp of the burning liquid "they all were"

"Yes they were, and we'll make sure they're remembered for their sacrifice" Alyssa said wincing at the strong whiskey Sarah enjoyed before handing the flask back "How's the burn?"

"Hurts like hell, but no worse than when they dragged me out of Purity" Sarah said taking another draw from the flask "That burned like hell; I'm still surprised I haven't sprouted a third arm or something."

"How do you think I feel; I was the one who had to go in there, remember?" Alyssa said taking the flask and taking a draw of the whiskey "My ass still glows in the dark."

They sat back against the wall and finished off the flask and let the warmth of the whiskey spread out from their stomachs. Alyssa watched her sleeping soldiers and let the intoxicating lullaby of the whiskey lull her to sleep. As her eyes closed she fell into Sarah's shoulder and let herself drift into sleep, and when her mind surrendered to sleep she heard a familiar voice.

"Alyssa, wake up"

She opened her eyes and found herself in a bed in the large bedroom of Vault 101's overseer. Alyssa sat up and pulled a blanket over naked chest and saw Amata slipping into a jumpsuit at the foot of the bed. She looked back and smiled at Alyssa before standing and strapping a 10mm pistol to her hip and winking at her.

"I know you're a big time space captain now, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you sleep in" Amata said tossing Alyssa her pip boy.

Alyssa sat up and smiled sadly. The bed sheet turned to ash and sterile light of the bedroom became harsh sunlight and she found herself sitting on the hard ground overlooking the remains of Megaton. She knew what was behind her; she had live this dream over and over, and as they began to whisper to her she clamped her hands over her ears as the voices whispered. Even with her hands tightly held against her ears Alyssa heard them; her father, Amata, Paladin Cross, and now Sally whispered unintelligible chatter into her ear piercing through to her core. With her naked back to them she closed her eyes and balled up as their footsteps drew closer and their whispering grew angrier and louder. Then the whispering stopped and she opened her eyes and saw silhouetted by warm sunlight stood a figure.

The figure was feminine and wore a long flowing red and black dress that seemed to accentuate her blazing red hair. Her deep grey eyes shined down like sunlight through a clouds, and her smile sent chills down Alyssa's spine. The woman reached out and offered her hand and when Alyssa took it fire spread out across her wrist and wreathed her in a flame. When the flame died away she stood in a long white gown free of dirt and grime and when she looked to the woman Alyssa saw a smile creep over her face and just a s she was about to speak she was pulled from the dream and woke back into reality.

A calmness had spread into her and sank into her gut like a weight had been lifted and her entire body was sighing in relief now that the burden was gone. She rose careful not to stir Sarah from her sleep and stretched feeling her muscles relax and loosen. In her euphoria she didn't notice the small spot of blood on her neck nor the Mojave soldier walking away from the sleeping troops. Alyssa certainly didn't notice her braided red hair or the spent syringe hidden in her hands that she threw into a trash chute as she walked away.


	19. Endings and Begginings

Warm wind blew across the parched soil sending small cyclones of dust whipping around the ring of debris that acted as the small town's perimeter wall. The remains of a highway cut through the small town like a seam of a chipped obsidian blade, and the small cluster of buildings clinging to it stood quiet and dark in the early morning. As the sun rose the inhabitants of Myrtle Beech began to wake, and star their days.

A sentry sat at his post tucked in between two slabs of wall, and drunk the last of the coffee from his thermos. It was the end of his shift and a box of sugar bombs was calling his name. He faced east and watched the sun rise slowly painting the landscape in sterile brightness. The sentry almost didn't notice the small flash of blue light a few hundred yards out from the town's border.

He raised his weapon and looked down the scope to see a man walking towards the town with a large white bundle in his arms. The man was tall and wore a dark black leather duster that billowed out in the wind. Dawn light shone of his bald and the deep red of his goggles glowed softly. Looking closely the sentry saw that it was a body wrapped in a white sheet, and as that thought came to him the sentry saw other forms materialize in blue light. Four women appeared behind the man in flashes of blue light followed by a dozen hulking robots.

One of the women had her hands bound with zip ties and a blanket thrown over her head. Another woman had a shaved head and tattoos covered her mostly bare mid-section. Two other women held the rear, one was an obvious military type with clean black hair and shiny armor, while the other wore leather armor and a power fist.

The sentry turned around and pulled a small lever activating the siren and summoning the other sentries from their posts. He took his position and aimed his rifle at the man in the lead and took aim. When the group were about three hundred yards from the perimeter he yelled out:

"Stop right there"

The group stopped and the leader regarded him with deep grey eyes. A flash of memory ran through the sentry's mind he'd seen those eyes somewhere before. He lowered his gun for a moment and examined the man's sharp features.

"I know you" The sentry said as the other sentries arrived.

The man looked up at him and sighed "Little Jim Harlee, right? You were six when I left town"

"How do you know my name?" Jim said confused "How do you know me man?"

"because he's the reason your mother died Jim"

The sentries turned let an old man through to address the group. He was big man with white hair and arms like tree trunks.

"Mr. Shaun what are you talking about? my mom died of the sickness." Jim said.

"A sickness this one caused" Shaun said turning to the man "I thought I told you to never come back"

"I have business with you" the man said glaring at Shaun.

"What business could you possibly have with me?" Shaun asked grabbing a pistol from his belt and took aim "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

The man reached across the bundle and undid a knot allowing part of the sheet to fall away revealing a woman's face.

"Mirada?" Shaun said almost dropping his gun as he recoiled "How's that possible?"

"We need to talk" Rex said rewrapping the sheet around Mirada's head "Privately; we have a lot to discuss."

Shaun glared for a moment before gesturing for Rex to follow.

"Keep your freaks outside" Shaun said as they walked into the town.

/

"Can I please take this off?" Penelope asked peering out from under the blanket "It's getting hot."

"Nope" Veronica, the courier's second, said as she sat on a stone bench adjusting her powerfist.

"please, my stitches are already uncomfortable and the heat isn't helping" Penelope pleaded.

Veronica shot her an icy glare with her remaining eye. Penelope returned the scowl and looked to the other two women.

"Don't look at us buttercup" the one called Jack said flipping her the bird "IF it was up to me you'd bed dead."

"At least tell me what your inept surgeons implanted in my chest?" Penelope asked "I have a right to know."

Jack ignored her and joined the woman called Shepard on another stone bench. Penelope scowled at them all and silently cursed them. She had awoken from surgery that morning with a long stitched up wound across her chest before being handcuffed and taken by the courier. From the location of the incision she could surmise that something had been placed in her rib cage. What that was Penelope could only hope it wasn't an explosive.

The cuffs around her wrists were made from the same black metal as the courier's arm and seemed to be magnetically locked. A small fusion cell hummed in the center of the cuffs and no matter how she twisted her hands Penelope couldn't reach it. Under the blanket Penelope seethed in the heat and stoked her anger at her captivity. It was easier that way; if she didn't stay angry she'd collapse. The weight of the last few days was waiting to crush her, and she wouldn't allow that to happen.

A hand drew the blanket off her and Penelope looked up to see a weathered face looking down at her. The old man examined her intensely for a moment with a mixture of shock and hurt on his face. He was silent as her examined her face and just as Penelope was about to speak he wrapped her in a suffocating hug.

"You're Mirada's child" he whispered trembling as he hugged her.

Then she knew who the man was.

"You're her Father, Shaun" She said as he released her "Biologically my grandfather."

"Yes, he is" The courier said brushing the big man aside and held out a silver key "I made a promise and now I'm going to keep it."

The courier unlocked the cliffs and they disengaged and fell to the ground with a metallic clunk.

"I'm free?" Penelope asked.

"Yes and no" The courier explained reaching into his duster and withdrawing a small flat device "Shaun is going to take you in, and in exchange Myrtle Beech gets all of the benefits of allying with the Mojave."

"I would've taken you in regardless" Shaun said taking her hand "I know you're not my Mirada's child, but that doesn't change the fact that we're blood."

Then he hugged her again and said "I'm sorry about your mother, and just know I you want to talk about it I'm here for you."

"Thank you" Penelope said glaring at the courier over Shaun's shoulder "It will be nice to get to know you; My father killed you in our universe."

"Oh" Shaun said breaking the hug and backing away slightly "Why?"

"I don't know" Penelope said a sudden headache building behind her eyes. That hadn't happened, had it? Strange distortions of memories flooded her mind's eye and she could smell the stench of shit and blood in the air. What was once pristine memories of her father transformed into horrible eldritch caricatures of him.

In that storm of recollection, she saw herself as a teenager cutting into flesh and altering the insides of screaming children. She saw Rose screaming as she gene treatment after gene treatment into her spine and watching her father laugh as his little sister twisted and convulsed as her body morphed. Every time she drew back and saw herself growing sick and every time she saw her father injecting pink liquid into her neck and hitting her. And when she finally returned to reality every muscle screamed in fatigue as her twisted life was illuminated in cruel cold clarity.

Her legs turned to Jelly and she fell forward. Shaun tried to grab her but the courier reacted faster and hoisted her back onto her feet. He leaned in close and whispered something into her ear; a phrase she had never heard before but knew were etched into her soul "Care for a Pomegranate my goddess". Penelope's every muscle locked and she felt a wave of cold splash onto her brain and descend her spine.

The cold flowed into her veins and quieted the ache behind her eyes, but left the memory of her father as it was. New memories, or perhaps they were old memories, were illuminated with cold brilliance allowing her to see every atrocity she had been a part of. Stomach acid bubbled up her throat and she began dry heaving as tears flowed down her face.

She felt a cool metal hand take her by the chin and gently turned her face upwards. The courier looked at her with a profound sadness in his deep grey eyes, and lightly brushed the hair from her face with his other hand. He looked at her for a long moment and sighed before speaking:

"Don't look away from what you've done" The courier said stroking her cheek "Own it before it owns you."

"You have no idea what he made me do" Penelope said as the horror of a century of memories returning to her "The things I've done, oh my god the things I did to Rose."

"Then this is your chance to find some redemption" The courier said standing up "The road to redemption is straight through hell and whether you find absolution or damnation is entirely up to you to decide."

"How?" She asked tasting bile in the back of her throat.

"Give everything you are to others" The courier said reaching out a hand "become someone people think of as good person and maybe one day it'll be true."

She took his hand and he helped Penelope to her feet. The courier handed her the small device and kissed her forehead before letting go. In that instant, she almost fell but she managed to stay upright on her own power. Penelope looked to the courier and asked:

"All I've done for the last century is create monsters and hurt people, what do you expect me to do?"

"Heal; my personal belief is that if you help enough people to heal than maybe you have a shot to heal yourself" The courier said turning away.

"All you're promising me is maybes and might-bes" Penelope yelled at him.

The courier turned and smiled sadly at her "That's life kid"

"At least tell me what you out in my chest"

He pointed at the device in her hands and made a boom gesture with his hands "We didn't put anything in, but we did take that nasty little number out."

Then the courier walked off, grabbing the bundle of sheets that contained her mother's corpse made his way towards the dusty towns cemetery. So, there in the dust of the courier's old life, a woman, who was his daughter and at the same time not, made a decision. She turned to the man who was her grandfather and at the same time not and looked at his old weathered face.

The knowledge in her mind, dark secrets of the institute and years of experience locked away by her father, was hers to use or shun. Finally, she was free of chains she never knew bound her, and now that she was free Penelope had no idea what to do next. Her father was dead and his plans rendered moot, and in that uncertainty Penelope felt something that was both disturbing and exhilarating. Excitement.

/

Rex laid Mirada to rest just as the sun rose to center of the sky, and in the shade of an old tree he said the words he said almost a decade earlier when had laid his wife to rest. When his work was done, he met the others in the dusty town's tavern: The Post. They sat a table drinking from a shared bottle of whiskey, and when Rex reached them he poured a glass of whiskey and gulped the slug down.

"Whoa holy shit" Jack said "I thought you didn't drink"

"Sue me; I've had a bit of a week" Rex said slamming the glass down and pouring another drink "Besides I'll need to be a fucking sloshed for this"

"For what?" Shepard asked.

"Are you sure about this Rex?" Veronica asked.

"Absolutely not" Rex said taking another gulp of whiskey before turning to Shepard and Jack "You both want to know more about my past; where I came from? What I've done? Well congrats you're about to get your wish."

"Why now of all times?" Shepard asked.

"Let's call it therapeutic release, and besides Shepard you've shed blood for me twice now" Rex said pouring another whiskey "And dealt with two of my doppelgangers so you deserve to know."

"What about me?" Jack asked.

"Jack I realized something in captivity; you are very important to me" Rex said sipping the alcohol rather than gulping "If we go any further you deserve to hear the story; to know what I've done."

"All right Rex, I 'll hear you out." Jack said nodding.

"All right, just so you know only three people know the full version of this story and one of them's an autodoc" Rex began "I was born somewhere in the NCR around twenty-eight years ago, and for some reason my parents left the NCR shortly after I was born. We finally settled in a town called Dust somewhere in northern Oregon when I was about one. My parents were a strange pair to be sure; My mother was a master engineer and my father a former follower of the apocalypse and combat medic. I wish you could have known her Veronica; she had a way with machines that makes me looked like a child ripping up an alarm clock."

"I used to stay up late at night and listen to talk to herself as she worked. She'd talk to the components of a machine like they were alive, and whenever I talked to my dad about it he'd give me this look. You know the look, the look of a parent trying not to worry his kid. It's only now that I deal with my own mental health issues that I recognize it in my mother. My father on the hand was a hard ass combat medic who served for ten years before retiring to the followers. Despite being a more than competent doctor my father also loved language; something I'd come to hate as he made me learn Chinese, English, and Spanish."

"Wait you speak three different languages?" Jack asked.

"Six actually; I've picked up tribal languages in my travels" Rex said taking a swig from his whiskey "The first ten years of my life were nothing but constant lessons from both my parents. I think my dad was a little disappointed I took to fixing machines rather than people. Things changed a little after Rose was born. Dust grew a lot under my parents' guide; my mother's technical skill combined with my father's military skills turned a small fishing village on the Oregon coast into a respectable trading outfit. They were always busy so it fell to me to keep track of the little rugrat."

"Rose was my everything. I practically raised her on my own and we were inseparable as she grew older. Partners in crime and punishment. Whenever she'd get in trouble for bringing some wasteland beastie home I'd stand with her and vice versa when I blew something up or stole something. I loved that girl like nothing else in this world, and she loved me back. My father was cold by nature and my mother wasn't consistent with any form of emotion. It was nice to have someone who acknowledged that you were important to them."

Rex smiled warmly for a moment before he frowns and takes another swig of whiskey. He withdraws a small red leather bound pack from his duster.

"As with most good things in the wasteland it all has to come crashing down at some point. It happened on my fourteenth birthday; My mother gave me a pre-war stainless steel lock pick set, it was my job to salvage parts from the factories nearby for the shop. I was tired of using bobby pins and now I could break into old man palmer's snack stash. As I was thinking of things to break into my father pats me on the shoulder and points me to a factory just up the mountains."

""You'll find my gift there" he said giving me a rare smile. Rose wanted to come of course but I wouldn't let her. The last time I took her into one of those factories she almost been crushed by a collapsing pillar. So, my father made her stay home, and as I left we said our usual goodbye "Bye Bye Rexy" an she yelled at me as I walked of and I yelled back "See you soon Rosie."

"I spent half the day walking to the damn place and when I got there I found building filled with safes full of sugar bombs and gizmos for me to tear apart and remake. And in the final room of that old factory I found it; a Berrington 4550. One of the most secure prewar safes ever made. Took me three hours to crack that monster and when I finally opened it I found my reward."

He drew his pistol from its holster and placed it on the table.

"One of his prized pistols. Family heirlooms apparently used by the Vault dweller decades ago. If you ask me he was full of shit, but it was still unbelievable. Inside with the gun was a stack of comic books and three Nuka Kola Quantums. I spent the rest of the day drinking soda and reading comics before drifting off. When I woke up it was dark outside and I booked it back home. Half way there I was wondering how much trouble I was in when I noticed the smoke."

Rex paused and reached for his cigarettes and tried to light one, but his hands began shaking. Jack grabbed a lighter and lit it for him.

"Thanks" Rex said shivering as he smoked the cigarette "I found them in the square. Everyone I'd ever known their hands zip tied behind their backs and a bullet hole in their heads. The adults had been lined up and shot, but the children, I don't believe in god but I hope there's a hell, got it worse. They took the boys and strung them upside down before cutting their throats letting them bleed out onto the ground. The girls were nude and ravaged; most were dead while some of the stronger ones were whimpering as they bled to death from stomach wounds."

"Oh, my god" Shepard said covering her mouth.

"What fucking monster does something like that?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"When I saw the girls, I looked for Rose. A frantic search through a pile of bodies and the flaming wreckage of what had been my home. She was gone, taken by the monsters who had left Dust in ruins. I spent hours just screaming and trying to salvage what I could from the fires; I found my father's other gun still on the counter in his clinic. The rest was lost to the fires; I think after a few more hours of wandering through Dust I passed out amongst the dead. When I woke up I wasn't alone; The Astrolges, a local group of tribals had come to investigate the smoke."

"They took me in and taught me how to live off the land. My caretaker was a girl a few years older than me; Kella. During the year or so I stayed with them She taught me how to forage and hunt and even tried to marry me into the tribe. I sometimes wonder my life would be if I had stayed with her and live my life amongst the Astrolges."

"Why'd you leave?" Shepard asked.

"They planned on taking their animals, big elk looking things called Shielders, north into the Canadian wilderness. I was young and wanted to track down the people who killed my family and took Rose, so I eft and headed south. Eventually I ran into a Brahmin caravan taking a herd to Shady sands. After they saw how handy I was to have around I became a traveling handy man. I spent two years with the caravans before we rolled through Myrtle Beech and I met Mirada. She lured me in with her cooking, and I started making a life for myself here."

"I opened a shop and married Mirada. It was nice, the anger was fading and soon I would have a child of my own to worry about. It still hurt to think about my parents and dust, and in those peaceful days I could forget about Rose for a while and just be happy. It was nothing but selfish cowardice; how could I be happy when Rose was dead or worse? Why was I allowed to move on when all the others were raped and killed?"

"there was nothing you could've done" Jack said knowing exactly how those feelings could eat someone alive. She took his metal hand in hers and squeezed. He placed his organic hand over hers and nodded.

"When Mirada was entering the last trimester of her pregnancy, about two years after I'd arrived here, a traveling trader came here to Myrtle Beech pedaling miracle soil. Said it was taken from a vault in the Mojave and grew plants like crazy. We tested some out and saw that anything planted in it grew in a few days instead of months. You can imagine what a god send something like that to people who pull everything they eat from the dust. I convinced Shaun to lets us a plant a third of the towns crops in the new soil just to try it out."

He drank down the last of the whiskey and sighed.

"A plague came from that soil. Grew across the skin like moss and devoured the cells of the host. Some of us were immune and could fight it off, but two thirds of the town weren't. Wanna guess where Mirada fell. She died along with our child while I once again lived. The wastes had taken everything from me a second time, and this time there was no one to help temper my rage. Something inside me broke that day, and I threw aside my humanity. If the world would so callously take from me than so be it."

"I became a monster. Fueled by chems and rage I carved a niche within the mercenary community and took the name Crimson typhoon or to some the Red Reaper. If you had the caps, I'd do just about everything; collect a debt? I'm your man. Kill a pimp's whores for operating on your turf? Done and done. I can't believe half of the things I did. There was this job; a simple debt collection, only eight hundred caps, but the idiot ran from one of the Families in New Reno."

"So I track him down to a ho dunk town in the ass crack of nowhere, and find him. He's hiding in his house with his wife and daughter. I give him an offer, I'll pay the debt but I get to fuck his wife. She wasn't even that attractive, but I was horny and she was warm. The debtor stutters and trips over himself to come up with another way, but the wife she had some balls. Tells her daughter and husband to go outside. "Oh no" I say "he stays", he looked like he might actually have hit me then, but he just looks down and nods. The girl left the house and I got to work."

The table is silent as he talked.

"I fucked a man's wife while looking him in the eyes. Over an eight hundred cap debt I ruined a man's relationship with his wife. Later, I heard that he ate a bullet in New Reno. That was what my life had become, a never-ending orgy of destruction and violence. You know the wasteland as a way of reducing us to our base elements and that what it had done to me; it stripped me of any decency and left a cruel twisted thing where a man once stood."

"This continued for three years. Three years of murder and chaos all for caps or chems. The last Job I ever did for the New Reno Families was clearing out a whore house run by a madam who stopped paying her protection money. Simple job, go in shoot the Johns and whores then burn the place to the ground. I walk up to the place and start the work, the madam had hired some local thugs for protection, but I was on three different types of psycho at that point and my blood was boiling. they were easy to kill, but the whores were easier."

"Apparently, they'd been dosed with Chain, powerful chem destroys the mind and withdrawal is a hundred percent lethal. Most didn't even move as I took aim just stared blankly at the wall peacefully accepting their fate. When I found the stash of Chain I poured most of it down the Madam's throat and sent her running off into the night. Just as I was preparing to burn the place down I noticed a whore wandering out of the basement. I take aim and the girl falls to her knees and when I get closer to her I notice her hair. Red."

Rex takes a drag off his cigarette and exhales shakily. Tears form in his eyes and e starts shaking again.

"Sure enough, I look at her face, and yep it's my Rose. Her eyes were dead and her body covered in scars, but it was her. Suddenly all the rage and hated disappear and I revert to the fourteen-year-old I was. I start freaking out coming out of my high knowing that she'd die in the next few days of Chain withdrawal. I feel her hands wrap around the muzzle of my gun and I look down and she's placed my gun against her forehead. She looked up at me with the eyes I remembered; full of life and fire….."

Rex lets out a sob and wipes away tears as he continues.

"Then she closes her eyes and says "Bye Bye Rexy" and with my finger on the trigger I said "See you soon Rosie". I pulled the trigger and she fell backward, and with her death all my rage and hatred was gone. In that moment, I was left with only my guilt and my ghosts. After burning the whorehouse down I left the city and became a courier. It was a dangerous Job and since I was too much of a coward to kill myself I figured I'd let the wastes finish me off. For two years, I don't think I spoke, not one word, all I had was ghosts to talk to."

"Oh my god" Shepard said shuffling backwards in her chair.

"Eventually I delivered to the divide and walked the long road to the Mojave. It was only after I got shot in the head and found myself standing at the turning point for the Mojave did I finally see a purpose for this twisted life of mine. In this world, good men are eaten by the wastes, and made into monsters. So, a monster would the one to drag it kicking and screaming back into civilization. There was no place for god or angels here, only demons, and maybe in the redemption of Mojave and her people can a demon find forgiveness."

Rex extinguished the cigarette butt in an ashtray and steadied himself. He looked up to see Shepard and Jack examining him. The whiskey was fuzzy in his head and he felt fatigue deep in his bones; at the corners of his vision Rex saw the phantom forms of his ghosts begin to materialize. Shepard was the first to speak:

"Rex, I have no idea what to say" Shepard began "Some of the greatest men I've ever known have committed horrible atrocities. While some of the worst have risen to the occasion. I believe that a past is only just that: the past. I've seen the man you've become and he's a man I'm proud to ally with."

"I agree with the girl scout, Rex we all have shit in our pasts we aren't proud of but it's what you do with the present that counts." Jack said taking his hand.

"Shepard let's go and get some more whiskey" Veronica said shuffling Shepard towards the Bar leaving Jack and Rex alone.

"Jack I want to talk to you about something" Rex said facing Jack "for the longest time I was preoccupied with my own death. I've lived these last two years hoping that something would be able to kill me, but that changed when I met you. For the first time in years I didn't want to die, when I talk to you Jack I want to live. I want to be worthy of a woman like you."

"will you shut up with that shit? I'm just a psycho bitch" Jack said pulling her hand back.

Rex grabbed it and said "and I'm a schizophrenic with rage issues. Look Jack, I know if we open and let our guards down we could fuck each other up even more than we already are. But if we don't and pass up on something genuine and real than we'll spend the rest of our lives regretting the only shot of happiness that we have."

Jack looked at him for a moment a tear in her eye before saying "Okay Rex". Then she kissed him, and the kiss was soft and slow filled with their years of self-hatred and sadness. In that release their hands entwined and something began between them, a bond formed from shared sorrows and regrets. In one of the Taverns rooms they spent that night in each other's arms Jack allowing herself to feel safe in Rex's arms and Rex sleeping a sleep so deep that not even his ghosts could pierce it.

?

Watching through the window a figure stood silently observing the pair as they slept. Her red hair was blood red in the moonlight and she smiled as the two slept contently in front of her. Like a phantom she silently walked back to the window and opened it. Before slipping out of the room she turned back to look at the pair one last time and said:

"I'm happy for you Rex; find the happiness I stole from you little brother"

She shut the window behind her leaving no trace.


	20. The Hero of the story.

As the neon light of New Vegas faded and the golden light of dawn replaced it two riders rode their beasts into Freeside. The beasts they rode were lean and nimble as they stepped across the asphalt into the city. A helm of bone wrapped around the beast's head and plumed out to form razor sharp horns.

The riders wore tanned leather in a tribal style with a thick pile of furs tied to their beasts' rumps. One of the riders, a big man with a flowing black beard, had a long halberd like weapon strapped to his back. Obviously fashioned from the skull from a beast like the ones they rode. its skull had been fractured in two with one half now facing backwards making for a vicious looking weapon.

The second rider was smaller and wore an old hunting rifle on her back and had her long copper colored hair tied into a ponytail. A pair of smoky black glass goggles covered her eyes and her face was hidden beneath a black bandanna. On her belt was an assortment of metal and bone tools clinked against each other as she rode.

As the last remnants of the night were banished from the city the pair halted their beasts and dismounted in front of the Atomic Wrangler. The man tied their reigns to a street light and shifted his weapon to his side while the girl entered the saloon. Once inside she pulled down the bandanna and revealed a thin bony face with three diagonal scars starting from her left cheek and ending on at her right.

Though the girl was tall she was undoubtedly young, no more than twelve, and the moment she entered the wrangler she wore a look of wonder on her face. She walked over to one of the slot machines and began fiddling with its handle and lights. After whacking it a few times she nodded and looked around for anyone and saw that a woman was watching her.

"You know kid most people try to at least hide the fact their tampering with the machines" the woman said wiping off the bar.

"sorry sorry sorry" the girl said jumping back "I was just curious."

"Oh, great Tribals" the woman said throwing the rag into a bin "You have an adult with you, hon?"

"I am her guardian" the man said entering the casino; his speech had a slowness to it suggesting he was out of practice speaking English "Please excuse my cousin she's never left the village."

"It's all right, as long as she doesn't tear my machines apart" the woman said sending a cold stare the girl's way "What can I do for you?"

"we're looking for someone" the man said taking out a bag of caps "and we're willing to pay."

"well then I may just be able to help you; who ya' lookin for?" the woman asked.

"A man, thin with red hair named Rex" the man explained "Grey eyes with a sharp face."

The woman blinked at the man for a moment before looking at the girl and letting out a chuckle.

"Ugh yeah, buddy this'll be free of charge" The woman said "You'll find him in the lucky 38 just down the road. You know what I'll give him a call so he knows to expect you."

"Oh, thank you very much" The man said putting his bag of caps away "Just up the road, correct?"

"Yep, it's that big building that looks like a wheel" The woman said waving them out.

When the door shut behind them she reached beneath the counter and brought out a black phone. She picked it up and punched in the code for the Lucky 38 and waited as it rang. As soon as the operator picked up she said her verification code and said:

"This is Francine Garret, we have a situation heading straight towards the Lucky 38"

/

"I will not stand for this" Brent Buxton yelled slamming his fists down on the meeting room table "These people are our enemies, and I'll marry my daughter off to a death claw before I let anyone of those legion bastards step foot in our territory."

"They won't be settling in our territory Buxton" Rex said as he stood before the leaders "We're going to build around their existing communities and absorb them into our existing infrastructure."

"A year ago these people were our enemies and now you expect me to welcome them with open arms" Another Leader said "My wife was killed by a legion raiding party, and I'll be damned if I'll if you expect me to break bread with these savages."

The meeting had only begun thirty minutes before, but it had already devolved into a circus. To his right sat Vein, the defacto leader of the Turncoat legion, and to his left sat Isabelle Burnrows, the representative sent by the Midwest brotherhood. Vein to his credit barely moved even as his people's name were dragged through the mud.

"What's to stop them from turning on us like they did on Octavian?" another leader asked "they turned on their allies before what's stopping them now?"

"Our honor" Vein said his gruff voice cutting through the shouting "Our honor is what forced us to serve Octavian. Under the puppet master Savant, we were made into pawns on a board soon to be thrown away. You call us the turncoat legion, but many of you were once citizens of the NCR correct? We seek the same thing you do, freedom. Freedom to raise our children without the threat of war, and to give them the things our people have never known."

"And we also have the tribal leader's children as hostages" Rex said "They won't act as long as their children's lives are in our hands."

"Last I checked we aren't medieval lords" Buxton said his cigar burning to a stump in his mouth "Cowards keep hostages."

"I believe it to be advantageous to both sides actually" Isabelle said smiling at Buxton "These men and women will be the next generation of leaders in their respective communities. If you were to provide them an education not only will they be enlightened to modern sensibilities, but would also have a deeper connection to the Mojave."

"How are we planning on feeding these people?" Alyssa asked "Last estimate has the current population count at roughly forty-five thousand men, women, and children."

"I've commissioned ten new G.E.C.K.s from Big Mt. and have begun assembling a team of engineers to put together plans for construction" Rex said tapping a command into the table's control console.

A holographic display opened showing a map of the Mojave and the eastern territories. Red blips appeared indicating settlements and communities and green roads appeared to connect them. As Rex typed in commands buildings began appearing and the Legion settlements expanded and changed into proper towns and cities.

"At first glance our sudden increase in population seems like a major strain on our resources, but it's exactly what we needed" Rex said as the display changed to an image of a standard construction drone "This is a standard construction drone designed by Big Mt. Now, it's served us well, but they're based of Protectrons and that makes them slow and clunky. With the influx of laborers, we'll be able to complete construction projects faster."

"In addition, most of our population are individuals who know a skill or trade" Rex explained "right now we simply have too many skilled workers and not enough basic labor. With the increase in population we'll be able to cover the more menial tasks of construction and general labor while also providing a work force for our skilled workers and tradesmen."

"I see where you're going with this Rex" Alyssa said "With an abundant labor pool we'll be able to mass produce more complicated items without having to resort to using the vending machines."

"Precisely, today marks a milestone for the Mojave" Rex began "As we train the former legionnaires and expand our production capabilities we solidify our position especially in regards to the NCR. Look, I'm not saying this will be easy or turn out great for everyone involved, but I firmly believe that this is the right thing to do. This is just one step for us to take to make the Mojave a nation, and soon enough I believe we can surpass even our Pre-war ancestors."

"You've overstepped your bounds Rex" Buxton said "The amount of resources and man power it will take to expand our infrastructure and train these people will drain our stores and over tax our factories. You had no right consenting to this without our approval."

"The new Legion was preparing an invasion force that would've decimated our ground forces, and turned our communities to ash" Rex said glaring at Buxton "If I hadn't made the deal the Mojave would have fallen. In the span of a few weeks we've doubled our territory and have access to not only Octavian's tech, but a massive work force. This is the moment where we strengthen our position as a rival to NCR or continue to exist as a tiny nation state."

"There you go again making the NCR our enemy" Buxton said "The only evidence we have that the NCR is targeting us are reports from your Newsmen, and some flimsy map you probably had planted. You know what I think? I think you want to consolidate your power and turn the only respectable democracy on the planet into our enemy so you can keep running the Mojave like you're its king."

The room was silent after Buxton finished. Several of the leaders were nodding in agreement while the rest looked at Rex expectantly. Rex's expression was blank and as he stared at Buxton the seconds ticked by in silence. When he finally spoke, Rex's voice was different; harder and almost everyone in the room shivered as a chill ran up their spine:

"Are you insinuating I would orchestrate a conspiracy to frame the NCR as part of some attempt to stay in power?"

"Ugh…yes I am" Buxton said some of the steel removed from his voice.

"I have given everything for this country and her people. I gave my blood, my sweat, and even my god damn arm defending the Mojave from anyone who dared to oppress its people. If you have the audacity to believe that I would fabricate evidence to consolidate power than you can go fuck yourself." Rex said his face warping in rage "I have, and will always have, the best interests of the Mojave and her people at heart. Since many of you came from the NCR, I know it's hard to accept that the NCR has it out for us, but we cannot let suspicion and conspiracy tear us apart. We stand together as one or fall as many."

"Well then" Alyssa said standing up "I know I'm new here, but I believe the NCR's a credible threat. Rex welcomed my people and I and gave us a place to call home after we lost everything. The people New Columbia stand with Rex, and welcome our new countrymen."

"Dramatics aside" Sylas Reger said rising "Goldern stands with the Courier. There is simply too much compelling evidence for this to be a conspiracy, Buxton."

"Glory stands with you Rex" Gloria Venk said "Although I can't say I'm not convinced that Voorhees's little movement is a threat we must still remain cautious."

Most of the other leaders stood and pledged support but a half dozen joined Buxton with nays. Twenty-three for and eight against. When the meeting dismissed an hour later an outline for new construction and training programs. As the leaders filed out Rex flagged Alyssa down.

"Thank you for your support in there" He said withdrawing a parcel from his pocket and withdrew a glossy green tablet and popped it into his mouth "I know it was hard losing Sally, but thank you for keeping your head in the right place."

"Don't mention it" Alyssa said smiling "We need to stand united especially now of all times."

"Good to hear" Rex said smiling at her "How are your people doing by the way?"

"We're moving along just fine" Alyssa explained "By the way, Sarah and the rest of the pride are willing to mix in with the militia since our we're so low on manpower."

"Thank you that'll be a major help" Rex said "With most of our forces wounded we need any experienced soldiers."

"I'll have Sarah and the pride report to Macarren as soon as they can get their equipment packed." Alyssa said.

"I have to go deal with another crisis, but you have my number If you need anything"

"Of course, Rex" she said waving as he quickly made his way up and out of the meeting chamber.

She felt the phantom fingertips run up her spine and felt a light kiss on her neck. Warmth spread over her body and Alyssa wrapped her arms around her shoulders savoring the contact. A look of pure joy spread across her face and she panted softly in the quiet of the hallway.

"You did good" Alyssa heard Her in her ear "Offering Sarah like that."

"Th-aa-nnk you" Alyssa stammered as the phantom fingers traced her arms.

The phantom warmth receded back into the phantom fingers and left Alyssa standing in the hallway alone. She snapped out of her daze, the touch and the warmth already forgotten, and made her way to the exit. In one of the shadowed corners stood a cloaked Kasumi Goto, and just as Alyssa left the thief made her way to another exit.

/

Rex walked Vein to a teleportation terminal across from the Government building. They drew stress from tourists and citizens alike. He had to admit they made a strange sight; Vein a massive man who looked a combination between an old general and a brick wall. Vein was returning to his village, Blackboot, to address the collection of leaders that made up the turncoat legionaries' temporary government.

"You can expect our Heirs in the next few days Courier" Vein said as Rex entered Blackboot's coordinates into the teleporter "We expect them to be well taken care of."

"We've already have a new housing facility ready, and they'll have some of the best teachers in the Mojave" Rex said patting the big man on the back "I give you my word that no harm will come to any of them."

"I trust you will Courier" Vein said shaking Rex's hand "You are already proving to be more trustworthy than Reximus."

"Thank you" Rex said "I try my best."

Vein stepped on the pad and disappeared in a flash of orange light, and Rex turned towards the Lucky 38. There were stacks of paper work taller than his desk waiting for him, and Rex decided to grab some lunch before being shackled to his desk for the rest of the day. He walked down the street out into Freeside in search of something to eat.

After walking for a few minutes Rex spied on of the Shepard's crew. It was the engineer Tali'Zorah nar Rayya accompanied by a three Securitrons. She looked to be buying a set of stainless steel tools from one of the metal shops. Stepping closer Rex noticed a shipping pallet loaded with boxes of gleaming silver tools probably ordered for the construction of the Normandy SR-3. Tali was arguing with the smith who ran the shop, and both seemed ready to tear out the other's throat.

"Listen lady, like I told your boss you don't get the tools until I get paid" the smith said.

"As I've said we are perfectly happy to pay you the what we agreed to when we commissioned your services, but not a cap more" Tali responded with her arms folded and foot tapping the asphalt "Neither I nor Shepard will be cheated."

"I'm the one being cheated here Lady" the smith said "I've spent the last two weeks getting this order ready, and I know the moment you get these in your hands you'll scan 'em into a vending machine and mass produce these little master pieces. So, you're gonna pay a mass production fee."

"That is ridiculous! We will not pay triple for tools we designed" Tali said annoyed "I'll report you to the Mojave government."

"No need" Rex said stepping past the Securitrons "I heard more than enough."

"You're the Courier" The smith said in surprise.

"Yes, I am, and you are?" Rex asked flashing him a steely glare.

"Marcus Jaxon, sir" the smith said backing up a little.

"Well mister Jaxon you do know that it is illegal to mass produce manufactured goods with Vending Machine technology?" Rex asked his face softening.

"Wait really?" Jaxon said surprised.

"Yes, when the Mojave first started using the vending machines we made a decision" Rex explained his voice changing to a softer tone as he approached the smith "Only raw material and refined manufacturing goods could be made with the vending machines. Things like steel bars and ingots for example, so you have no need to fret about someone stealing your work."

"I didn't know that" The Smith said "I've only had the shop here for a few months."

"Perfectly acceptable, you can't be expected to know every law and regulation in the books at first" Rex said throwing an arm over the man's shoulders "Now listen I want you to apologize to Miss Rayya here and accept the terms you both agreed upon. I also recommend taking a trip to the business offices on the main strip, and educating yourself on our regulations and laws."

"Sure, thing Mister Craster" The smith said turning to Tali "Sorry miss, I had no right assuming the worst. How about I knock an extra ten percent off for the trouble."

"That would be acceptable" Tali said shaking the smith's hands.

"You know? I like what I see here" Rex said his voice almost melodic as he looked at an ornate metal gauntlet "I've always been shit when it comes to metal working, and I'd like something a little fancy for my arm."

"Of course, sir" The smith said looking at Rex's arm "I could draw up some designs for you"

"That would be great Marcus" Rex said patting the smith on the back "bring em by the Lucky 38 when you have em ready."

They left the smith smiling and once the Securitrons moved the crates through a teleporter Tali said:

"Thank you, Mr. Craster; I was afraid I'd be arguing with that boshtet all day"

"Mr. Craster was my father, call me Rex" Rex said smiling "and don't mention it, it's my job to make sure everyone in this city gets a fair deal. Anyway, it's the least I can do, you and the rest of the Normandy crew have proven to be priceless allies. I understand you were part of the team that jammed the Legion's communications."

"Oh yes, actually it was legion, the synthetic that pals around with your drone ED-E, and using a modified geth design" Tali explained "It was originally meant to jam communications on a planetary scale, so it was simple to jam and hijack the legion's signal."

"Thank you regardless" Rex said "Besides the occasional skirmishes, how are you enjoying our little slice of post apocalyptica?"

"It's certainly entertaining" Tali said "I have to admit I was a little taken aback when we first arrived. It not often that you see a functioning civilization in the middle of a nuclear ruin, but now I have to say I'm impressed."

"Oh really? I wouldn't think we'd be very impressive to someone who cut her teeth on spaceships." Rex said the wind's direction changing to buffet his back.

"You and your people survived an atrocity that ends most species, and now you're building a whole new world atop the ashes of the old" Tali said "In a way you remind of my people; every day is a struggle against hardship and adversity, but still manage to find the time to love and laugh."

"I'm honored that you think of us that way" Rex said smiling before sniffing and saying "Tali what do you see behind me?"

"What?" Tali said looking over his shoulder and Rex grabbed her arm with his metal arm and said

"Don't make it look like you're looking; keep talking" Rex said before chuckling.

"I see a group of three men by a cargo truck, why?" Tali said patting his arm and faking a laugh.

"I can smell flamer fuel on the wind" Rex said never dropping his smile and tapped the underside of his pip boy while positioning himself in between Tali and the truck. She placed a hand on the Pipboy and found a small indention in the casing. Tali pressed it and a small square of plastic popped out, and when she turned it over Tali found a small red button.

Rex winked at her and his right hand went down to rest on his pistol. Tali gripped the handle of the shotgun on her back and with the other hand she pressed the button. A whirlwind of dust surrounded them and suddenly the world was darkness. She felt Rex's hand on her hip as he pulled her close and guided her behind a bench. No sooner than they had reached the cover a ball of fire exploded where they stood, and Rex grabbed the bench with his metal arm.

Tali heard servos scream as he pulled the back of the bench off and drew it up like a shield. Fire exploded around them and Rex ducked low shielding Tali from waves of fire that singed the wood of the bench back. She raised her shotgun and waved her arm trying to summon up a holo drone.

"Go for the eyes, Chiktika Vas Paus" Tali yelled firing burst of shot gun fire in the trucks direction.

The combat drone shot toward the truck firing bolts of orange lightning. In the gale of the dust storm they heard a shout as the drone reached its targets. Rex stood and threw away the make shift shield and yelled down to Tali:

"Move up while they're distracted"

Tali nodded and followed Rex as he bounded over the flames towards the truck. When they reached the truck, they saw a man sprawled over a flamer in the open hatch of the truck's trailer. Three others tried to shoot the small drone as it shocked them as it made figure eights around them.

Rex advanced forward and blasted one in the knee before whipping the gun around and firing a bullet into another's shoulder. Tali fired her shot gun at the remaining man shredding his front in a hail of metal. When the dust cleared Rex and Tali stood amongst the fallen attackers. The man wielding the flamer moaned and Rex placed the muzzle of his gun against his forehead.

"All right buddy I suggest you start talking" Rex said as a dozen soldiers and four Securitrons formed a perimeter around them.

"Fuck you mutant" the man groaned revealing a small cylinder in his hand with a button on top. Rex grabbed for the device but the man managed to press down the button and a shrill beep filled the air. A rush of air exploded out of the truck's trailer and Rex raised his gun, and the man slumped forward his mouth foaming.

Silence dripped in the air as Rex stood at the mouth of the trailer with his gun raised. He gestured to Tali and she raised her shotgun as they both began slowly stepping backward. They had barely moved a foot when Rex saw movement within the shadowy interior. Rex fired his pistol into the darkness and saw the spark of the bullets as they bounced off whatever was inside and hit the walls.

What seemed to be a super mutant in combat armor stepped out of the trailer into the sunlight. Its head was covered in a goggled gas mask and the rest of its grossly muscular body was wrapped in plated combat armor. Rex's fire had punched holes in his armor and left a hole in one of its goggle lenses, but the creature had no visible injuries.

The creature grabbed the mask and ripped it off revealing a completely hairless face crisscrossed with deep red veins. It looked around locked it's eyes on Rex and smiled revealing teeth like porcelain knives. Rex raised his gun at the creature and fired off three shots into its head, and they impacted with a dull thud. They fell to ground not even leaving a bruise on the creature's face. It began to chuckle

"Light it up" Rex yelled as he turned to run and felt the heat as the laser fire from the Securitrons erupted all around him. Bullets and lasers hit the creature and it disappeared in a storm of light and smoke.

Rex slid under a Securitron and took cover as he reloaded his pistol. Another order almost made it out of his lips when the back of the Securitron exploded in a spray of sparks and the Securitron was ripped in two. A rain of oil and sparks rained down on Rex as the creature tossed the two halves aside like toys.

Rex fired into the thing's face as he shuffled backwards cursing as the bullets bounced off its face. The creature jabbed at Rex with one bulbous hand and Rex blocked with his metal arm only for it to be crushed like foil. With a sickening wrench the metal arm was ripped from the socket and Rex screamed as his nerves were ripped open. A fist collided with his chest slamming Rex against the concrete knocking the air out of his lungs.

Pain erupted from Rex's chest and he coughed blood as he tried to regain his breath. His vision was growing dark and the pain was overwhelming. The creature grabbed him by the neck and pinned Rex to the ground. It leaned in close and sniffed with its bulbous nose and Rex scowled at the monster and managed to spit blood into its eyes. In response, the creature grabbed his right arm and wrenched it up and back.

Fresh pain shot through his shoulder as bones crunched under the pressure. Rex screamed as the flesh of his arm ripped and finally came off with a sickening pop. A horrible smile stretched across the creature's face and raised the severed arm to its lips and sank its teeth into the flesh. In two gulps the arm disappeared into the beast's mouth Rex's blood dripping from its lips as the monster savored the morsel.

A horrible laugh reverberated from the beat's mouth and it prepared to deliver a final blow when the muscles in its neck locked up. Its laugh changed into a cough and blood started to flow from its eyes and nose. It released Rex and stumbled backward as it began hyperventilating. Red sores began opening on its face and spread down to its neck and chest.

The muscles in its chest began to twitch and ballooned into bulbous growths that cracked the skin and oozed puss and blood. Stumbling backward, the creature screamed as its throat closed and its arms began expanding and its muscles stretched and ripped open. Bloody puss spurted out all over the concrete as the creature shook in pain.

The collected Mojave soldiers watched in horror as the thing's legs expanded and burst into masses of twitching muscle and bone. It fell to the ground as its eyes were replaced by tumors and its teeth grew spearing their way through its skull. With a final muffled scream the beast collapsed into a pile of writhing muscle and bone.

It floundered on the ground for a few moments before going still. The soldiers and Securitrons advanced forward and secured the body. Medics moved in and tied off Rex's arms and injected stimpaks. A medic attached a tube to Rex's neck and began dripping in stimpak infused plasma.

"We need medi-vac east of the Strip" A soldier yelled into a radio "the Courier is down. I repeat the Courier is down."

/

Veronica sat in Rex's office looking over the mound of paper work he'd let pile up. Tax reports and security plans sat on the desk awaiting official review and signatures. She sighed as she cracked open one of the thick folders vowing to punish Rex later. Light flashed behind her and Veronica caught a small dust storm in the eastern shopping district.

She tapped her Pipboy and spoke into it:

"What's the situation in the eastern shopping district?"

"We have scattered reports of some kind of attack, Ma'am." A comms agent said "Our comms aren't being answered and intel suggests multiple assailants."

"Which division patrols that sector?" Veronica asked slipping on her power fist and grabbing a plasma pistol.

"The third Securitron platoon and the 43rd rookie company, Ma'am" the tech said.

"Divert some of the Securitrons heading to the dam back to the city and put out an order for any nearby units to form a perimeter and lock the area down." Veronica said strapping the plasma pistol into her leg holster "Try to get Rex on the line while you're at it."

"We have reports that the Courier was involved in the incident ma'am"

"Should have expected that honestly" Veronica sighed "Tell that idiot when you finally connect that this little incident won't get him out of his paperwork."

"will do Ma'am"

Veronica left the office and took the elevator down to the ground floor. When the elevator had descended half way, the power cut out and the elevator went black save for an emergency light in the corner. With a sigh, Veronica knelt and opened a service panel and checked the circuitry box, and found a small device fastened to the wires and recoiled back when she found a brick of C4 behind the wiring.

"You never did like explosives, did you?" she heard a voice in the gloom say.

Veronica turned towards the voice and jabbed with her powerfist, and was surprised when a hand stopped it. She looked up and saw a red headed woman smiling at her in the gloom, and withdrew the fist. This was the duplicate that attacked Shepard in Reximus's base.

"You know dealing with Rex's trans-universal doppelgangers gets old after the first time" Veronica said "What do you want?"

"Oh Veronica, I'm not from another universe" The women said fire glittering in her deep grey eyes "In fact we used to share the presidential suite."

"You should know I have no objections to knocking a crazy lady the fuck out" Veronica said swinging her powerfist at the women's face.

She made no effort to dodge or even block; In fact, she turned her jaw into the punch. Instead of a satisfying crunch when the metal fist met the women's face Veronica heard a dull thud. The women didn't even move as the impact came, and winked at Veronica before flashing her a vicious smile.

"Now if only you had been that aggressive in bed than maybe I wouldn't have left you" The woman said before darting forward with blinding speed and wrapping a hand around Veronica's neck and slamming her against the wall. Veronica tried to resist but the woman's grip was like steel.

The woman ran a hand up Veronica's stomach and lightly brushed her breasts before running her fingers over her face. She oozed predatory energy as she appraised Veronica with a burning look, and Veronica felt as if she was under a sun lamp. With a predatory smile the woman released her and stepped backward crossing her arms behind her back.

"Now if you behave we won't have to get physical again; unless you ask nicely" The woman said with a wink "and honestly no matter how much I'd enjoy playing with you Veronica I'm here on business."

"You generally start business by molesting people?" Veronica asked massaging her throat.

"Only the ones who like their ears rubbed when she's getting…."

"Okay that's enough of that!" Veronica said blushing beside herself "What business do you have that involves boobytrapping an elevator?"

The woman tossed her a holotape and pressed a button on her Pipboy before saying "Rex has a long road to walk. Full of pain and heartache, and before it's through he won't even be human anymore."

The elevator rumbled to life and began to descend again.

"Why does that concern you?" Veronica asked.

"Because he wasn't supposed to be the hero of this story" the woman said as the doors opened to the lobby "Don't make a scene and that bomb won't go off."

They walked out of the elevator together and bumped into Christine.

"Oh Veronica" Christine said "We have a problem."

"I know the disturbance in the eastern district" Veronica said glancing at the red head.

"There's that and then there's her" Christine said gesturing to a thin girl standing behind her.

It was obvious who she was the moment Veronica looked at her. She had the same facial structure and her hair was like shimmering copper. Before she could speak though the Woman chimed in.

"Valeera?" the woman asked "What are you doing here?"

"How do you know my name?" the girl asked staring at the woman.

The woman didn't answer only smiled her predatory smile before tapping a button on her Pipboy flooding the room with light. When they regained their sight the woman was nowhere to be seen and the group stood in the lobby surrounded by dazed soldiers and runners. Veronica felt a tug on her shirt and looked to see the girl beside her.

"Please, can you tell where Rex Craster is?"

"Why do you need to find him?" Veronica asked already knowing the answer.

"Because he's my father." The girl replied.


	21. Family Reunion.

The Courier died on Tuesday the twenty third of March 2184. He died with his arms ripped from his flesh, and a grimace of pain trapped on his face. Like most moments of rest in his life this didn't last long. Approximately 38 seconds in fact.

His world erupted in pain and light as he opened his eyes feeling blood coughs out of his throat. Strong hands pushed him back down and Rex barely registered a needle entering his neck as fresh pain washed over him. Shadows stood all around him stabbing him with steely fingers and holding him down; Pain surged through every synapse as they cut into him.

Rex tried to scream out, to call for help, to do anything, but something had been driven down his throat. Panic hit his veins like battery acid and he began to thrash trying to flail his nonexistent arms, and was rewarded with more shadowy arms pushing him down. More pinpricks and slivers of cold pierced into his muscles.

The shadows held him down against the table and he writhed under their grip; fighting back against the cold. He wouldn't let them make him sleep. Sleep was the void, and that was where his ghosts waited for him. Then relief came to him, her fingers on his brow quieted his rage and he looked up into her eyes.

"It's okay Rex. You're safe. I'm here."

An angel? Or was she a demon? Rex didn't know, but her words sank into his brain and his muscles released their tension. The cold invaded his heart and sent him sinking down into the void of his subconscious. As the light faded she stroked his forehead, and when the cool darkness claimed him Rex let it wrap around him.

/

Jack withdrew her hand from Rex's forehead and watched as they wheeled his gurney into the operating room. She tried to hold back a shiver as tears welled up in her eyes, but the shiver came and she started to tremble. With a stifled sob, she punched the wall burying her fist in the drywall. When she withdrew her fist, it was bleeding and coated in drywall.

This was why she should never have cared. Why did she let him in? He should have just been a quick angry fuck, but no she just had to start falling in love with the bastard. Pain and worry gripped Jack's chest as she looked towards the doors to the operating room. A part of her almost longed for the emptiness of solitude, at least then she wouldn't feel like a grenade had gone off in her chest.

"You don't mean that" she told the empty hall "You were nothing when you were alone, just an animal."

Her hand began to throb and Jack sighed. She rose and went off to find a nurse. When her hand was wrapped, she saw some of the others were arriving. Veronica entered the hospital with an entourage of techs, couriers, soldiers, and floating robots. As they entered Veronica spotted Jack and waved as she addressed the mob around her.

"Wilkens, I want the attacker's bodies moved to black site Sigma along with the creature's corpse" Veronica ordered a soldier before turning to the rest of the mob "Alright you all have your assignments and orders, if anything else comes up you know where I'll be"

The collected personnel saluted and dispersed out the doors to the waiting room. Veronica turned to Jack and wrapped her in a hug. Jack blinked and tensed up as Veronica locked her in a hug.

"I Know you're not a hugger Jack but I think you need one" Veronica said as she released Jack from her vice grip.

Reluctantly Jack relaxed and sighed before asking "What the fuck happened?"

"Honestly we don't know" Veronica said rubbing her temple "The weaponry was definitely NCR equipment and the attackers all had NCR dog tags."

"Than those fuckers are declaring war" Jack said with a growl.

"No, almost immediately after the attack we received word from the NCR embassy past the mountains" Veronica explained "Giving us a warning of some rogue soldiers who may have come to the Mojave after dishonorable discharge."

"Cocky mother fuckers, aren't they?"

"Yes, they know we know that those men couldn't have acted without support from someone, but if they're officially disavowed there's not much we can do" Veronica said scowling "Officially anyway, if they Wanna go the cloak and dagger route then that's a game we can both play".

"If you need a gun let me know" Jack said, "I wouldn't mind ripping these fuckers a few new assholes."

"Thanks, but if Rex was good at anything it was overkill; we have something planned" Veronica said "How is he?"

"Bad, both of his arms were ripped off and he was raving like a lunatic when they rolled him in" Jack said wrapping her arms around her shoulders "He died for a few seconds. I thought he was gone, and then he comes back screaming like a fucking demon. If I hadn't calmed him down, he might've killed himself."

"This is bad. How'd you manage to get here so fast?"

"Apparently, he managed to ask for me when they tried to move him." Jack explained.

"Oh" Veronica said before putting a hand on Jack's arm "He'll be okay"

"He damn well better be or I'm gonna kill him myself." Jack said.

They spent the next few hours in the waiting room. As the hours ticked by more of Rex's companions appeared. The room was soon stuffed with super mutants, ghouls, humans, and robots. When ED-E arrived the eye droid darted towards Veronica and immediately began beeping frantically.

"E slow down, you know I can't understand you like Rex does" Veronica said to the floating eyebot.

The robot spun around a few times before he began beeping again at a much slower speed.

"He's alive but he lost both of his arms and probably has internal bleeding" Veronica explained after listening to ED-E.

ED-E let out several flat and whiny beeps. They almost sounded sad to Jack.

"I know buddy I'm worried too" Veronica said patting the eye droid.

ED-E turned to Jack and began beeping at her.

"What's he saying?" Jack asked.

"I think he's offering you his condolences" Veronica said with a smile "He says Rex told him to make sure you're all right if anything happened to him."

"Thanks, I'm okay" Jack said suppressing a scowl at the floating robot. She still found it a little annoying when Rex thought she needed to be taken care of. Though a part of her liked it as well.

Mordin and Chakwas suddenly entered the room in surgical gear and were followed by a nurse pushing a hermetically sealed cart. The cart was marked Big Mt. symbols and scribbles in broken Salarian. Mordin nodded to her as he muttered to himself before continuing into the surgical wing, but Chakwas stopped and patted Jack on the arm before continuing after Mordin.

Another few hours passed and the day turned to night as Jack dozed off into a fitful sleep. When Veronica woke her, sun light streamed through the windows of the waiting room. Jack looked at Veronica expectantly and she nodded and gestured for Jack to follow. They entered the hospital proper and navigated the halls to a private room behind three layers of armed guards.

They entered the room and she saw him. Rex was lying on the hospital bed his eyes closed and his new silvery metal arms folded over his chest. He was hooked into a small army of machines monitoring his vitals; some were obviously local tech but some had holographic displays. His chest rose and fell as he breathed and his faced was locked in a grimace.

Jack heard his mumbling from across the room, and took a seat beside his bed and took one of his hands in hers. The metal fingers tightened around her hand and squeezed. His grip was strong and firm and Rex's face softened as she returned the squeeze. As he relaxed, Rex stopped mumbling and seemed to fall into sleep. Jack held his hand in hers and sat with him as the sun came up over New Vegas.

/

Veronica left Rex in Jack's care and returned to the Lucky 38. When she arrived in Rex's office she activated the false wall and entered the secret room behind it. The room doubled as storage and a lab space, and Veronica found eight vials under an array of sun lamps. Three contained a glowing green liquid and the other five contained clippings of leaves and vines.

When she picked up one of the vials containing the plant clippings the contents began to wriggle and shake. On the side of each vial, in small neat handwriting were the names of different plant species. The vials containing the green liquid were labeled with the names of several livestock species.

Veronica placed the vials in a hermetically sealed container and placed it in her pack. As she placed the container in her pack Veronica's hand brushed the holotape the doppelganger gave her. The holotape was pitch black and was heavier than any other tape Veronica had ever handled.

She took it out and inserted it into her pip-boy and a small image appeared on screen. Realizing it was a schematic of some kind Veronica ejected the holotape and inserted it into the office's main computer. It booted slowly at first, but after a few seconds the screen exploded with data.

"Holy shit" Veronica muttered as the schematic loaded. The computer processed the data and the schematic expanded to represent miles of metal and circuitry with mother ship zeta at the core. Veronica tapped commands and the schematics zoomed out to show the completed structure of the ship.

Even skimming through the data Veronica recognized that the ship's desighn was a hybrid of both her universe's and the Normandyverse's tech. Lost in the treasure trove of data, Veronica almost didn't hear the knock at the door. She turned to see Christine enter the room.

"Christine, you won't believe this…" Veronica began before seeing Allena behind her "Oh, did you settle in okay Allena?"

"Yes, thank you for letting me and Walta sleep here" the girl said running a hand through her copper hair nervously "Is my father dead?"

"No, sweetie he got out of surgery a few hours ago and he should be awake in the next few days" Veronica said smiling at the girl "Trust your father is very hard to kill."

The girl nodded timidly and adjusted her goggles. Allena hadn't taken the goggles off since she arrived; not even at night or indoors. Veronica didn't want to pry but the girl's obvious reluctance worried her. Taking Christine aside Veronica asked:

"Did we get the test results back?"

"Yeah they came in last night thanks to the Normandy's medical lab; She's Rex's daughter" Christine said.

"Well that was obvious, but it's nice to double check" Veronica said.

"So, what are we going to about her?"

"We figure out why she's looking for Rex, and then go from their" Veronica said, "Of course we also have to consult Rex about this."

"How do you think he'll react?" Christine asked.

"I don't know. For now, can you keep an eye on her?

"I'd be happy to, but the problem is with her cousin"

"What do you mean?"

"He seems to be a little too happy to leave her here with strangers" Christine explained "I don't know about you, but if I was responsible for a young girl I'd be a little reluctant to leave her alone."

"I'll talk to him" Veronica said turning back to Allena "Allena, can I ask you something?"

"Okay" the girl snapping back to reality.

"Your Mom's name is Kella right?" Veronica asked.

Allena's face drooped and she stared at the ground for a few moments before responding:

"My Mom's name was Kella, but the creeping sickness got her"

"Oh, I'm so sorry" Veronica said, "Is that why you were looking for Rex?"

"No, it isn't"

Veronica looked up to see Walta in the doorway leaning against the door jam. His weapon strapped to his back and a look of minor annoyance on his face. From his belt, he withdrew a letter and tossed it across the room. Veronica caught it and saw written in neat handwriting:

Rex

"My father would have taken Allena in, but her mutation excludes her from courtship with the other teenagers. She's a waste of resources if she can't make more hunters." Walta said turning his back "My duty is finished, thank you for the lodging Miss Santangelo, and Allena…"

Allena looked at her cousin from beneath the smoky black lenses of her goggles.

"If you ever return to the tribe I will personally cleanse you."

"What the hell does that mean? What mutation?" Veronica asked as Walta made to leave the room.

Before Veronica could go after him she felt Allena grab her sleeve. She looked down to Allena and had to stifle a gasp when she saw Allena's eyes. Instead of a single pupil Allena's seemed in the process of splitting into three, and her eyes themselves were much larger than a normal human's.

"Oh my…." Christine said under her breath before saying louder "That's all."

Allena turned to her and balked "You don't think I'm a freak?"

"No friggin way" Veronica said, "Honey some of my best friends are mutants and you're no mutant."

"Then what am I?"

"A young girl who lost her mother" Veronica said, "Now tell me everything and we'll see about a more permanent living space for you."

/

Shepard sat in her suite drinking her third cup of coffee as she looked over the news reports. The Mojave Chronicle was reporting the attack and that the Courier himself was injured. Though the story asserted that the Courier only suffered minor wounds instead the critical condition he was in.

Thane sat in the suite's living room in the lotus position saying his morning prayers. She found the prayers comforting even as the news in front of her weighed on her. Shepard had already led her squad against the Legion, but if Miranda's intelligence was correct the Mojave was gearing up for a conflict with the NCR.

She had justified the attack on the Legion as removing a trans-dimensional dictator. The NCR was a democratic state with a sitting president, and all the evidence pointed towards an influential faction within the NCR's military being responsible for the attacks. Miranda was against further involvement in the conflict, but several of her squad mates and crew wanted to help the people of the Mojave.

"What troubles you, Siha?"

Shepard looked up to see Thane standing in front of the table.

"Just thinking about what we're doing here" Shepard said, "I'm worried about the ramifications of our actions."

"The people of the Mojave have proven to be valuable allies" Thane said moving behind her and wrapping his arms around her "You made the right decision in allying with them."

"But now we're facing an all-out war with the NCR, and I don't know if I can justify fighting against another sovereign power." Shepard said wrapping her fingers around his arms "No matter what happens my crew is going to be dragged into it in one way or another. Can I order them to fight a war between two nation in a universe that's not their own?"

"We fought the legion for you Siha, the rest of the Normandy's crew has committed to you" Thane said "It won't be the first time or the last time they'll face war. The Mojave is a flame burning against the darkness of this world, and I believe it is the right choice to help them."

"Do you always have to wax poetic?" Shepard said looking up to him.

"complaining?"

She kissed him then and rose wrap her arms around his neck.

"It's one of the things I love about you" She said when their lips parted before she kissed him again.

Then her Omni-tool decided to beep. Sighing Shepard opened the omni-tool, and its holographic display activated. She was greeted with an image of Mordin's face as he adjusted something.

"Shepard need to see you immediately. Found something interesting" Mordin said before cutting the feed.

"I guess I better go see what he found" Shepard said stealing another kiss from Thane "But we're going to continue this conversation later."

"Until then Siha" Thane said kissing her forehead.

When she arrived at Mordin's testing building Shepard noticed that most of the Normandy's medical and lab equipment had been moved into the space. Holographic displays covered most of the tables and the walls were scrawled with equations and schematics. She found Mordin at the center of the building hunched over a display.

"I love what you've done with the place Mordin" She said.

"Shepard good to see you" Mordin said ignoring her comment "Found something interesting."

Mordin brought up a display of a strand of DNA.

"This is Normal Mojave human DNA" Mordin explained "Slight difference in genetic make up. Likely from exposure to FEV."

Mordin tapped another command and four different strands of DNA appeared in front of her. Three of the four barely looked different save for what seemed to be growths attached to assorted rungs. The fourth was almost a different structure entirely with a structure like a triple helix.

"What am I looking at?" Shepard asked.

"DNA samples taken from Rex and his relatives." Mordin said.

"What?"

"Two from his daughters and one from his sister" Mordin highlighted the three simpler DNA strands "Genes manipulated to increase strength, vitality, stamina, intelligence, balance, and reflexes inherited from Rex. Several more worrying genes are unexpressed. Rose possesses a set of lesser modifications"

"What do you mean?"

"Complex shifts in nervous system, restructuring of eye structure, changes in bone density and structure, and mutation in other sensory organs" Mordin said "Eye modification already expressed in Allena."

"But Rex doesn't show any of those physical modifications, right?" Shepard asked.

"No but if exposed to genomorphic activator could spur expression of repressed genes." Mordin explained tapping his console "Existing boosts in Intelligence and stamina a result of modification."

"This is incredibly advanced modification" Shepard said, "How the hell does a civilization still in recovery from nuclear war come up with something like this?"

"Prewar civilization more advanced than previously thought. FEV alone proves that. Possible to modify FEV to safely manipulate genetics." Mordin explained scratching his chin "Possible candidate for Genophage cure medium."

"Have you told anyone about this yet?" Shepard asked.

"No. Completed analysis a few minutes ago."

"Good. Compile a report and send it to my data pad." Shepard ordered "I'll tell Rex when he wakes…"

Shepard was interrupted by a loud clanking echoing from the entrance to the lab. A metal android frame walked into the lab, and regarded them with red eyes. The top of its skull was clear glass exposing a human brain.

"You'll tell Rex what exactly miss?" the android said with Tyrone's voice from between metal lips.

"Aren't you usually confined to a tank?" Shepard asked as Tyrone walked over to them.

"Yes, but with the recent developments I found it necessary to develop an ambulatory unit" Tyrone said, "Now what were you speaking about?"

Mordin explained his findings to Tyrone and when he was done the android was silent for several minutes. Shepard wondered what was going through his head; from what she understood about Rex and Tyrone they weren't two people, but two sides of the same person. Rex represented the "Human" drives and instincts while Tyrone was almost pure logic.

"This is certainly a development" He said "Dr. Mordin is this type of modification possible after birth?"

"No. Only in vitro. Possibly at the embryonic stage." Mordin said.

"We were altered" Tyrone said his voice cracking with interference "We're not human."

Another voice, Rex's voice crackled out "We never were."

"Is Rex in there with you?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, but he's mostly inactive." Tyrone said, "Right now he's buried deep inside our sub-consciousness while our biological body recovers."

"Do you have any idea who could have altered you?" Shepard asked.

"No, but our father was involved with the NCR's special project division" Tyrone explained "That's where he met our mother supposedly before they left the NCR."

"Possible you were the reason they left" Mordin said tapping his chin.

"That seems to be the case" Tyrone said, "The thick plottens as our mother would say. Once Rex wakes we should open a line of inquiry. Another pressing issue to add to the list."

Tyrone made a sighing noise and turned to leave.

"If you'll excuse me I have pressing matters to attend to regarding the possible alien fleet heading towards us" Tyrone said, "I'll leave the terrestrial issues to Rex."

"What are you planning?" Shepard asked raising an eyebrow.

"If they come in peace, diplomacy; but if not then I'll blow them out of the sky." Tyrone said, his voice crackling with distortion as he finished the sentence.

/

Brent Buxton sat behind his desk reading over Serenity's latest production reports. The first batch of their whiskey was being opened in the next few days and Buxton wanted to make sure that the buyers would be getting all they ordered. He heard a buzzing sound and his office door opened.

Sylas Reger stepped into his office. What could he possibly want? Buxton thought as the older man entered the office. Buxton gestured for him to sit down and asked:

"What can I do for ya Sylas?"

"Brent, I'd like to discuss some business with you" Sylas said taking a seat "Regarding our council meeting yesterday."

"Listen Sylas, I get it I'll go along with the rest of the council" Buxton said standing up and pouring himself a drink "but if Rex costs Serenity costs me my distribution contracts with the NCR they'll be hell to pay."

"Brent I'm here to do the opposite" Sylas said, "A few of the other council members and I want good relations with the NCR, but Rex's constant war mongering is making that impossible."

"But I thought you're in support of Rex's plans" Buxton said his eyebrows raised.

"Publicly yes, gotta keep him thinking I'm an ally" Sylas said winking "Listen, Brent we have an opportunity here in the Mojave. If we collaborated with the NCR and used all of those fancy doo dads Rex's been hoarding human civilization can get back on track."

"But not as long as Rex is standing in the way" Buxton said realization dawning on his face "you're talkin about a coup."

"Yes, I am Brent" Sylas said "I promise we'll minimize the bloodshed, and cause no undue suffering. My partners in the NCR will annex us and humanity can get back to working together again."

After a few seconds of thought Buxton asked:

"What do you need from me?"

/

Roxanne waited until night fell. When the sun dipped below the horizon and the Mojave was bathed in the neon lights of New Vegas Roxanne made her move. The guards guarding the entrance to the hospital were easy enough to bypass. A forged I.D, some nurses scrubs and some doe eyes were only things Roxanne needed.

The guards within the hospital barely registered her as Roxanne slipped into the sterile hallways. Who would notice a single nurse amongst the dozens running around the hospital? When she arrived at his room three guards stood watch at the door.

"I need in the room; it's time to change Mr. Craster's bandages" Roxanne said to the guard closest to the door.

"I.D" he said.

She handed him the forgery and he scanned it into his Pipboy.

"Alright, make it quick" the guard said, "The courier's lady doesn't like leaving him alone."

Roxanne took her I.D back and entered the room. When she saw him she had to stifle a gasp; He lay in the bed covered in bandages and bruises. A fire lit in her stomach and anger flooded her blood at the sight of him. Her gaze fell to Jack who sat beside him reading a newspaper, and a smile formed on her lips.

"You made a good choice little brother" Roxanne thought to herself before walking over to her.

"I need to change Mr. Craster's bandages" Roxanne explained "If you'd like to stretch your legs now's the time Mrs. Craster"

"What! I am not Mrs. Anything" Jack yelled.

"Oh, my mistake ma'am" of course she couldn't resist toying with Jack a little "But I do need to change his bandages."

"Of course," Jack said walking out of the room with a backward glance at Rex.

When Jack left the room, Roxanne sat on the bed and ran a hand down Rex's chin. His was a face defined by years of pain; pain she had caused.

"Look what they've done to you" Roxanne said, "but you always were a glutton for punishment weren't you Rex?"

She waited for a reply but knew he was deep asleep.

"You remember when that engine almost fell on me and Rose? I thought we were dead, but you knocked us out of the way and crushed your leg." Roxanne said withdrawing her hand "That's the story of our life, right? Ever since we were born you've suffered my mistakes. Though I think this takes the cake."

She gestured to the room.

"You know when I heard you'd become the Courier I couldn't believe it" Roxanne said with a chuckle "My gearhead brother taking on House, the Legion, and the NCR. I thought it was funny until I understood why. You didn't walk the road I did; so much pain and suffering. All my fault."

"Don't tear yourself up" she heard a raspy voice say.

Roxanne looked down and saw two blood shot eyes staring at her.

"So, you just gonna continue to ramble on mysteriously or are you gonna explain" Rex said sitting up "Cause last time I checked I didn't have an older sister."

"First, we're twins asshole" Roxanne said with a smile "and second I don't have time."

"What do you mean?" Rex began as Jack entered the room.

"Goodbye Rex, expect to see me again" Roxanne said rising before taking a small black pellet and throwing it to ground.

When their vision returned, Roxanne was gone and the carpet where she stood was singed. An equally bright flash of white light erupted a mile outside the city. Appearing from the corona Roxanne stepped out onto the parched earth as she released her dark red hair from its tie.

The lights of New Vegas burned behind her and as she changed out of her nurse scrubs a smile crept across her lips. Rex was all right, and the weight of his injuries was lifted from her shoulders.

"Of course, you know it's not over." She heard her father's voice say.

Roxanne turned and saw the ghostly image of her father standing behind her. His sharp features locked in their usual expression of mild boredom. Of course, he'd show up.

"Don't you think I know that?" Roxanne said glaring at the specter.

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't abandoned this world" Her father said with venom in his voice "Rose would be alive and Rex would be living happily with Kella. Because of your weakness, you've destroyed both your brother and sister."

"I know that" Roxanne said "But I'm here and this time no one will die. She won't die."

"No maybe not, but who will take her place this time around, eh?" Her father said as he faded into the night.

"Fuck you too, Dad" Roxanne said crushing another pellet in her hand relishing the feeling of the white fire consuming her


	22. The World turns.

His feet burned as he ran across the desert sands. Every look back filled him with fear as the wall of swirling sand screamed towards him. Tendrils of sand cut into the bare skin of his back-drawing blood through the air like party steamers. He forced the scream of pain back down his throaty and kept running. There was no time for pain; no time for anything but running.

Bloody footprints were consumed as the wall of sand screamed behind him. It seemed to crave his blood as more and more tendrils whipped out to slash his skin or trip his frantic feet. On he ran feeling the soles of his feet tear away and his ear drums burst as the screaming assaulted him. All around him the sun began to fade as the walls of the storm closed in around him. The sun before him began to shrink and he seemed to be running on a shrinking corridor of light.

The path before shrank as the maelstrom closed around him and he reached out for the light as tendrils of sand ripped into his back. They coiled around his arms pulling him back into the wind and darkness, but he planted his burning feet into the earth still reaching for the fading light. Needles of sand drove themselves into his eyes but still he fought towards the warmth of the light until the tendrils dragged him deep into the cool ground.

In that dark place devoid of warmth, he heard them. Every voice he had ever known spoke as one; all those he loved, all those he hated, and every voice in between. They whispered and screamed, they sang and droned, spoke with anger and love.

"Stay with us" they said "Here in the coolness. There's no pain here. Only cool earth."

He opened his mouth and it filled with cold sand and as he tried to cough more sand fell into his mouth. It filled his lungs and filled him with a deep cold that seeped into his bones. His mind began to slow; no more fear, no more worry, no more anything. Just cool blackness. Then like a jolt of electricity he heard her voice.

A voice that only his deepest mind remembered from the time they shared in the womb. It cut through the cold weight of the sand like a blade through paper. Warmth spread through his chest and the weight of the sand lifted.

Rex opened his eyes and looked up to see her there. She sat beside him with her red hair tied back into a neat pony tail. Her face was a feminine version of his own, and Rex knew this was probably the doppelganger who attacked Shepard. As the dream faded Rex felt feeling return to his limbs and he heard the doppelganger's speech.

"You know when I heard you'd become the Courier I couldn't believe it" Roxanne said with a chuckle "My gear head brother taking on House, the Legion, and the NCR. I thought it was funny until I understood why. You didn't walk the road I did; so much pain and suffering. All my fault."

"Don't tear yourself up" Rex said siting up ""So, you just gonna continue to ramble on mysteriously or are you gonna explain. Cause last time I checked I don't have an older sister."

"First, we're twins' asshole" She said with a smile "and second I don't have time."

"What do you mean?" Rex began as Jack entered the room.

"Goodbye Rex, expect to see me again" Roxanne said rising before taking a small black pellet and throwing it to ground.

When their vision returned, Roxanne was gone and the carpet where she stood was singed. Rex looked to Jack and rolled his eyes.

"You know just once I'd like this confusing sci-fi crap to happen to someone else."

/

A few hours later Mordin, Chakwas and Arcade arrived at the hospital to brief Rex. When they arrived, Jack left to get Veronica the trio threw up a holographic display showing various parts of Rex's body and the damage done to it. Rex sat in his hospital bed taking in the information for a moment before he gestured to Arcade.

"Rex you're lucky to be alive." He began "We had to replace your entire suite of artificial organs, and even implant new ones as your liver, spleen, and kidneys received catastrophic damage. A new miniaturized power cell had to be implanted into your artificial spine, and we had to build an artificial bone scaffold over your rib cage to make sure it didn't collapse on your lungs."

"Well I've been meaning to come in for a tune-up anyway" Rex said with a forced smile "My legs feel tingly. Please tell me I don't have nerve damage."

"You did" Chakwas said "Mordin and I synthesized a nerve scaffold from your stem cells and reconnected your nerves. As long as you don't plan on any vigorous physical activity for the next few months your legs should heal just fine."

"Regular physical therapy required" Mordin said "Side effect of scaffold. Must exercise muscle tissue regularly or risk nerve degeneration. Compiled a list of therapy recommendations. Nothing strenuous of course."

"If daily exercises is the price I have to pay to walk away from that beating then I'll happily pay it" Rex said looking around "Before we continue I need a cigarette."

The three doctors looked at each other before Arcade sighed and handed Rex a cigarette and a lighter. Rex lit the cigarette and took a puff letting the nicotine infused smoke flow down into his lungs. Except it didn't, he felt his chest vibrate softly instead of the normal feeling he got when smoking.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" Rex asked.

"Before I go any further let me say that it was Veronica's suggestion" Arcade said smiling weakly at Rex "Your new lungs are an experimental model we've been working on at Big Mt. They have a special filtration filter that filters out all contaminants including smoke and nicotine. Unless it's a medical grade substance you can't absorb it through your lungs. Instead it will be neutralized and ejected through your sweat."

"I'm going to kill that woman I swear" Rex said putting the cigarette out in an ashtray next to his bed "Can I turn it off?"

"No" Arcade said, "Honestly Rex you have bigger things to worry about right now than whether you can get your nicotine fix."

"But Arcade it's my most recognizable character trait" Rex said clenching his metal fists before releasing them "When can I walk again?"

"You should be up able to walk now with the help of braces and a cane." Chakwas said "But I'm gonna keep you here for a few more days to make sure you're healing correctly."

"Well I have been meaning to take a vacation" Rex said sinking back into his bed.

"Really?" Arcade asked raising an eyebrow "You won't suit up and disappear on a revenge quest or something?"

"Arcade I'm not that guy anymore" Rex said flashing a grin "I can order my revenge kills from the comfort of home now."

"Moving on" Arcade said with an eye roll "Your arms are the modular prototypes you were working on at Big Mt. I know you won't, but please check with me before you install anything too insane. I don't want to fix you up after you rip out your shoulder blades or something."

"I make no promises." Rex said tapping the plating on his artificial bicep.

"Despite my recommendations against it; each arm has a small mark three micro fusion cell" Arcade said reading over the report "Do you really need that much power in your arms?"

"Oh yeah" Rex said shadow boxing the air "Just wait, next iteration will be made with better artificial muscle and you know I'm putting lasers in the finger tips."

"It makes me sad that I can't tell if you're joking or not" Arcade said before sighing "Rex there's one more major issue we need to discuss about your health."

"What? Is my floating knee finally catching up to me?" Rex asked his grin fading as he saw the look on Arcade's face "What is it?"

"Rex in the two years that I've known you I've seen you do and survive things that no normal human could. Now we know why." Arcade said handing Rex Mordin's report.

Rex opened the folder and began reading. Arcade watched his friend as surprise slowly dawned on his face. The doctors stood silent as their patient took in the information, and when Rex closed the folder they prepared themselves for a barrage of questions. To their surprise he only had one.

"Would this kind of alteration be possible after birth?"

"No, very likely modification occurred during embryonic stage" Mordin said.

"As far as we can tell none of the modifications are harmful" Chakwas said "Even in their unexpressed state these genes seem to be passively performing their purpose. Your reflexes, strength, aim, and intelligence seem to stem from these modifications."

"So, all my talents came from a tube?" Rex asked.

"The talent yes" Mordin said "But modifications wouldn't manifest such ability. Talent was ingrained in DNA yes, but you honed them over years of work."

"Thank you Mordin" Rex said smiling at the Salarian "Regardless it seems I have a little research to do regarding my father's work in the NCR. As if I needed another dark secret; three more and I get a free sandwich."

"Look on the bright side" Arcade said smiling "Now we know why you never got lung cancer despite smoking three packs a day."

Rex was about to reply when they were interrupted by the door opening. Veronica entered the room and nodded to everyone before turning to Rex and handed him a file. Rex cracked it open and flipped through the contents. The doctors nodded to Veronica and left the room as Rex read.

"All Ex- NCR commandos dishonorably discharged within the last month. Each from a different platoon of mediocre soldiers." Rex said as he read through the file "Reeks of spec ops to me."

"Yeah, our newsmen in the NCR are trying to dig, but it all looks official so there's nothing to do." Veronica explained "I've already set our newsmen in the NCR to digging up any connections to Voorhees."

"I'd doubt he'd leave a paper trail" Rex said, "I doubt anyone in power will go against him as long as he has plausible deniability anyway."

"I've already put a few contingencies into motion" Veronica said, "When you're discharged I'll give you the details."

"Think I'm too fragile?"

"No, but you need to worry about healing" Veronica scolded "I don't need you running off while you're still injured."

"For once I think I'll do the sensible thing" Rex said sitting back into his pillows "So, I'm apparently a super soldier."

"Good they told you" Veronica said leaning against the wall "You okay?"

"Oh, just peachy, honestly it shouldn't surprise me" Rex said staring up at the ceiling "Makes a lot of sense in retrospect; I should have died a few dozen times by now. I always thought that I was just unlucky enough to survive."

He felt Veronica's hand on his shoulder and he looked at her. A look of concern on her face. Rex sighed and shrugged off her hand.

"I thought you were past thoughts like that" Veronica said withdrawing her hand.

"I am" Rex said giving an unconvincing smile "They just like to creep in from time to time. Really, I'm surprisingly ok with this. What does it say about my life that finding out I'm a prototype super soldier is a bit mundane?"

"Yeah, no kidding" Veronica said, "Still wouldn't give it up though."

"Fuck, I would in an instant" Rex said an actual smile forming on his face "I'd trade all this sci-fi trope crap for a quiet work shop in the ass crack of nowhere."

"Really?" Veronica questioned "You all alone with just your thoughts. You'll either build a doomsday weapon or drive yourself crazy. Or both."

"Hey, I can be domestic when the mood strikes me" Rex said sticking his tongue out at her "So what have I missed?"

"Ho boy" Veronica said wondering exactly how to have this conversation "Say, you were pretty sweet on that Kella girl right?"

"Ugh yeah, almost thirteen years ago though" Rex said his eyes narrowing "Why?"

"Did you two actually ever you know; get down to business?"

"No, I was a bit of a chicken shit" Rex said raising an eyebrow "Well, there was the moon festival."

"The moon festival?" Veronica asked.

"Oh yeah, every year they had a festival to honor the constellations; they think they're beasts crafted from the stars." Rex explained "basically an excuse to get high and dance around. They had the festival right before I left and Kella practically forced the "Energy" drought down my throat."

"So, you don't remember losing your virginity" Veronica said with a smirk.

"Fuck off" Rex said, "I never had the guts to touch Kella, and some fermented mushrooms weren't going to change that."

"Well buddy do I have something to tell you" Veronica said tapping her fingers together.

/

Alena sat in the hospital waiting room taking in the strangeness of the place. As someone used to the smell of animals and people the sterility of the hospital was alien to her. It didn't even smell like herbs as the Medicine woman's hut did back at the village. She looked up at the ceiling and wondered how they asked the star beasts for help if the roof didn't open.

She had only been in the city for a few days, but Alena had seen more wondrous things here than on her entire journey from the white north. Miss Veronica let her take apart lots of machines, and even let her keep some of the parts. Of course, she was trying to keep her busy until her father woke up. Alena knew that. As sick people came and went through the hospital doors Alena wondered if the creeping sickness could be cured here in this strange place.

Her father's woman sat across from her reading the flimsy book thing called a magazine. Alena decided she didn't like her. The woman had her head shaved, and she knew people who had their had shaved carried lice. Why her father was with a woman with lice she couldn't say, but her mother had taught her not to judge.

The woman had yelled at her when Alena congratulated her on ridding her head of lice. Alena thought it was a good thing to be rid of the little parasites, but the woman had just gotten mad. Every now and again the woman would look up from her magazine and steal a look at Alena before looking away.

Alena looked towards the door and tapped her fingers against her legs. Her mother had told many stories of her father, but he had been barely more than a boy then. Now he was a man, and from what Alena had heard during her and Walta's travels he was more demon then man. Some said he was a ghost while others said he was a machine. An uneasiness had settled in her stomach when Miss Veronica said her father was awake, and now that she was so close all she wanted to do was run away.

"Nervous?"

Alena looked up and saw the woman looking at her.

"No" she said defiantly.

"You don't have a very good poker face, brat" the woman said with a sneer "I wouldn't worry about meeting your father; he's the sentimental type when it suits him."

"You're his woman; what's he like?" Alena asked.

"First off I'm no one's woman" The woman said with a scowl "Didn't Veronica tell you about him?"

"Yes, but my mother used to say the person they lie with can tell you a lot about a person" Alena said.

"You know kid? I think she meant that figuratively" The woman said "Your dad's a good person, better than he thinks, but not a saint. He'll take care of you if that's what you're worried about."

"My eyes are unnatural though" Alena said fidgeting with goggles on her head.

"Have you seen his crew?" the woman asked "Rex has no problem with people with a little mutation; especially his own blood. At the end of the day you're his daughter and Rex will take care of you, or I'll make him miserable."

"Alena..."

They turned to see Veronica standing at the entrance to the waiting room.

"Yes, Miss Veronica?" Alena asked.

"He's ready to see you" Veronica said.

The woman winked at Alena and Veronica led her into the hospital room and closed the door behind Alena. She saw him sitting in a chair beside the bed. Every visible inch of his skin was coated in deep bruising, and Alena could see surgical scars on his chest. Bright blue liquid dripped down into his arm from an IV, and the back half of the wall was occupied by a big machine hooked up to her Father's chest.

Though what interested her most was her father's arms. Through the tint of her goggles Alena saw the sleek metal plating that made up the mechanical arms. Alena idly wondered what they were made of; no metal smithed in her village could ever be that pure. As she examined him a chill went down her spine and she noticed his grey eyes quietly watching her.

She saw some of her face in his, and felt a strange sensation of déjà vu. His hard-edged face wore a soft inquisitive expression. They watched each other, father and daughter, not saying a word as silence rang in the hospital room. Then he snapped his metal fingers together and extended his left-hand palm first.

Alena walked forward and took his hand, and placed his open palm against her forehead. The metal was strangely warm and as she closed her eyes Alena could smell the freshness of the metal mixing with the sterile smells of the hospital. She could hear the internal machinery of the arm lightly whirring, and when he removed his hand her father said:

"I feel your fire daughter of Kella"

"I feel your strength father of mine" Alena said as he withdrew his hand.

"So, I did that right?" Her father asked.

"Ugh yeah, how did you remember to do that anyway?"

"I can't really forget anything" her father explained in annoyed tone "Your mother taught me all your people's little rituals when I stayed with them."

"They're not my people" Alena said angrily "Not anymore"

"Why is that?" Her father asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm a mutant" Alena said looking to the ground as she fidgeted with her googles.

She felt her father's metal fingers on her chin and didn't resist as he pulled her up to face him. With his other hand he unclasped her goggles, and smoothed a stray strand of her hair. His grey eyes examined her freakish eyes and after a few moments of staring at her father's face he leaned back and began laughing.

"They call That a mutation" her father said running a hand over the red fuzz of his hair before looking at her "So coming here wasn't your choice?"

"No, when Mom died uncle Tracka said I had to leave" Alena explained.

"So Tracka's still running things, eh?" Her father mused before frowned "How did Kella pass?"

"Mom was taken by the creeping sickness" Alena said sadly "She was asleep for her last week. The medicine woman gave her some sleep milk for the pain."

"I'm so sorry" Her father said, "Your mother was a kind person, and the world is darker without her."

"Thank you" Alena said a pang of grief striking her heart "Before she went to sleep Mom said I should find you, and give you this."

Alena took the red envelope from her pocket and handed it to her father. He palmed it for a moment before opening it and took out its contents. They were small squares of paper and a folded piece of parchment. Her Father's breath caught as he flicked through the squares and Alena wondered why. She got her answer when he accidently dropped one.

She picked it up and saw that it was a picture of her mother holding a baby with red hair. This had to have been taken with her mother's camera. Her mother had loved taking pictures with it, and didn't let anyone touch it because her father had….

"You know your mother was so happy when I fixed that old camera for her; honestly a tribal with a passion for photography" her father said wiping away a tear "That was before I came to live with the tribe; an eternity ago."

He looked down at the photos and the and the folded note with a sad look before looking and locking eyes with Alena. He took one of the photos and handed it to Alena; it was a more recent picture of Alena and her mother. Her mother was healthy and smiling with her arms wrapped around Alena. Alena had cried for her mother when she passed, but she still felt a pang of grief at the sight of the picture.

"If you'd like you can live with me" Her father said, "If you're not comfortable with that I can find some other place for you to live, but I want to get to know you."

"You are my father; I want to live with you" Alena said looking her father in the eye, and surprisingly didn't feel the need to cover her own.

"Atta girl" Her father said a grin breaking out on his face "Are you hungry? Cause I could eat a horse."

"Um, A little" Alena said before her stomach betrayed her by rumbling.

"Well that settles it" Her father said tapping a button on the side of his hospital bed "Hopefully the rumors about this place's eggs are exaggerated."

/

Shepard sat in her suite looking over reports from her scattered crew. Tali was currently pre-occupied with her work on the Device, and even with the aid of legion and ED-E it was going slow. Miranda and Jacob were holed up in a bunker somewhere building an information network, while Za'eed and Garrus had started taking free-lance work as mercenaries. Grunt had apparently become semi famous fighter in the thorn while Kasumi was off trying to sneak in and out of every secure building in the Mojave.

Jack was occupied with Rex, and Mordin was studying Rex's genetic code. Samara had disappeared into the wastes shortly after they'd arrived in the Mojave, and Shepard had scattered reports of her continuing her Justicar duties. Even without biotics Samara was still more than capable of handling criminals. On the flip side Thane had taken to long hours of meditation broken by walks and sparring matches.

The rest of the crew were either helping Gabby and Kenneth or helping with local Mojave projects. With the final pieces of fabrication equipment manufactured the crew had started to salvage materials from the SR-2. A skeleton of the Normandy SR-3 was slowly forming in the massive hanger that housed the construction operation. Gabby and Kenneth's initial estimate of four years maximum was conservative at best, and even if the frame was completed on time it'd still be years before the Normandy was ready.

From her suite's window Shepard watched the crowds bustle up and down the strip as the city's day went on. Despite a terrorist attack the day before most of the city's residents had returned to work despite the increased securitron presence. Considering most of the populace grew up with the threat of irradiated monsters It made sense that it took a lot to shake them.

Shepard's stomach growled and she decided to grab breakfast before running some errands. She left the Ultra Luxe and started walking east towards a lovely little grease trap that served excellent breakfast burritos. Her stomach rumbled at the thought; even though most of the meat in the burrito probably wasn't bacon.

The crowds thinned as Shepard moved through the side streets, and soon enough she found herself at a small building covered in bright orange paint. There was no sign that it was a restaurant except for the smell of frying meat and eggs. A few minutes later Shepard exited the restaurant with a bag full of grease drenched burritos, and two bottles of Nuka Kola. Turning northwest Shepard navigated the streets of New Vegas until she came to the Medical Center.

She found Jack sitting in the waiting room pretending to read a magazine. Honestly, Shepard thought it was kind of cute for Jack to be here. The Jack she met on the Purgatory wouldn't have even considered staying in New Vegas let alone staying near the hospital. Jack cared about Rex, and Shepard felt something akin to pride in how much her friend had grown.

"Hungry?" Shepard said offering a Kola and foil wrapped burrito.

"Fucking starving" Jack said gratefully taking the food "The nutrient gruel on Purgatory tasted better than the food they serve here."

"How's he doing?" Shepard asked ripping the foil of her burrito.

"Awake, thankfully, talking, unfortunately" Jack said with a smirk before ripping a bite off her burrito.

"Good, so you met the girl?"

"Yeah, looks just like him" Jack said, her face darkening "I guess he's not as alone as he thought. She's a little blunt, but she seems like a decent kid. Better than I was at that age."

"So, how's it feel to be dating a single father?" Shepard gently ribbed.

"None of your fucking business. But if you really want to know it freaks me out a little" Jack said sighing "Like it or not, the kid's his, and knowing Rex he'll feel obligated to take her in. I know it's stupid, but part of me doesn't want to get in the way."

"You know you won't" Shepard said "Rex wouldn't allow it. You know if you just up and left he'd probably follow you, right?"

"Yes, I don't know if I should find it sweet or just fucking annoying" Jack said.

"Why not both?" Shepard said smiling "It's kind of a sweet actually."

"Excuse me while I throw up" Jack said faking a gag before frowning "You know it fucking sucks. Worrying about people."

"Better than having no one to worry about" Shepard said "Unfortunately it doesn't get any better; You know I felt like I had bullet hole in my stomach the whole time we were assaulting the collector base? Because I care about you and the rest of the crew. Even if you're all a bunch of freaks."

"Says the space zombie" Jack said flipping her off.

"Oh yeah. I tend to forget about that" Shepard said with a smile "I guess we're all freaks."

"You really are a girl scout" Jack said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked innocently.

""I guess we're all freaks" you sound like an after-school special" Jack replied with a reluctant smile "But thanks Shepard; For the advice and for being here."

"Anytime" Shepard said.

?

Alyssa stood in her office stitching the last few stitches into Arthur Maxson's arm. The young man had gotten his bicep sliced open in a bar fight and Alyssa had spent her morning stitching it closed. Arthur had been caught up in several serious fights in the last few weeks, and Alyssa knew why.

"Are you visiting her grave later?" Alyssa asked spreading disinfectant on the wound before applying gauze and bandage.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur said shooting her a glare.

"Arthur we've danced this dance before buddy" Alyssa said offering a knowing look "Every time you got into a fight you go and talk to her. I know how close you two were it's alright."

"That's none of your business Alyssa" Arthur said his glare deepening "You are the last person I want to hear from about Sally."

"Arthur, you need to talk to someone" Alyssa said her own face contorting in anger "Getting drunk and fighting every night won't bring her back and it won't help you grieve for her."

"You have the nerve to talk to me about dealing with Sally's death" Arthur demanded his eyes on fire "I want you to say her name; say the name of the girl you sent to her death."

"I don't have to answer to you, Arthur" Alyssa said her voice rising "I'm not the one resorting to violence to work through my grief."

"Fuck you" Arthur said swinging open the door to her office "At least I'm not pretending she didn't exist."

He stomped off out of the room and Alyssa sighed. He was right though; Alyssa had pushed off her grief for Sally in the relative chaos after the battle with the New Legion, and it had been easier to ignore it than face it. She had no right to criticize Arthur, she knew that, but if he kept going down this path he'd get himself killed. Alyssa made a note to track him down later; they both needed to unload somethings, and it better be sooner rather than later.

Alyssa collapsed into her office chair. Speaking of the dead, she took the picture of Amata out from her pocket and looked at it. Things were so much simpler when the only thing she had to worry about was fixing a few scrapes and bruises in the vault. Alyssa waited for the customary pang of hurt in her chest as she stared at the picture, but it never came. She couldn't even feel numb at the thought of her first love.

Oh, it had hurt when she died, but now months later Alyssa felt nothing negative when she thought of Amata. Truthfully, she and Amata hadn't really been on good terms after the fight to liberate the vault from Amata's father. Six years of icy dialogue and the occasional drunken tryst defined their relationship, and truthfully in the months leading to her death Alyssa had barely spoken to Amata.

The speaker her desk chimed and she pressed a button:

"Yes."

"You have people waiting to see you ma'am"

"Alright, send them up and send some soldiers after Arthur. Make sure he doesn't go and hurt himself."

"Yes Ma'am."

She had three appointments this morning besides Arthur. Moira Brown, Sarah Lyons, and a local merchant who had set up exclusive deals new Columbia's merchants. What the Merchant wanted was a mystery as Alyssa had made sure she was paid for her services. Alyssa didn't mind though, she liked the merchant and her face had a strange attractiveness to it. And the woman had playful but predatory aura around her.

Sarah probably wanted to go over the town's defenses for the hundredth time before she left with the pride on recon missions for the Mojave Military. Since they were now bolstering the Mojave forces; the Pride was scattered across the Mojave and her new territory to the east. Sarah was constantly busy with recon and strike missions in the eastern territory, but she still found time to review and organize the local militia.

Moira was another mystery, she had been kicked out of Big Mt. shortly after she arrived there after hooking a neutron laser to a homicidal toaster. Rex had set her up with a private work shop just outside of New Columbia though, and Moira had been happily tinkering ever since. If she was here today it either meant good news or really bad news. Alyssa shuddered at the thought of some of the things that had slithered or clanked out of Moira's workshop in the past.

Moira entered first. Her jumpsuit was stained with what Alyssa hoped was oil, and the tool belt on her hips was loaded with an arsenal of strange custom tools. Moira had taken to wearing her hair longer in the last few years as a single tightly coiled braid that ran down her back to her waist. Alyssa wasn't surprised to find tools and gears jammed into the braid.

"Hello Moira, what can I do for you today?" Alyssa asked washing her hands and disposing of the bandages and gauze she used on Arthur.

"Oh, Alyssa I'm super glad you asked" Moira said in her usual hyper cheerful tone "I need just a smidge of enriched fusion material; Plutonium's ideal but Uranium will do."

"Why the hell do you need fusion material?" Alyssa said far past the point of being surprised by one of Moira's requests. Flashbacks to her work on the wasteland survival guide made her shiver again; so many dead mole rats.

"Oh, I'm just finishing up a teensy little project" Moira said with a sweet little grin "ever since you let me grab up all that Zetan tech I've had a little pet project."

"Moira, I don't like the way you emphasized the word pet" Alyssa said, "What have you been working on?"

"I can't tell you it's a secret" Moira said with a wink "I don't wanna ruin the surprise when I finally unveil her."

"It's a her now?" Alyssa asked knowing that it'd be easier to work with Moira than against her "Okay Moira answer this; will it kill anyone?"

"Oh no I'd never dream of that" Moira said pouting "Unlike the time with the genetically modified radroaches I've done thorough testing."

"You're just going to bug me until I approve, right?" Alyssa asked.

"yep"

"Fine, I'll place the order today" Alyssa reluctantly said, "I trust you Moira, for some reason, so I don't want this biting me in the ass."

"Yay! Trust me Alyssa you're gonna love it" Moira said leaving the room passing Sarah as she entered.

"What's she so happy about?" Sarah asked. She wasn't wearing her power armor and wore her simple under armor.

"I think I might have just helped her finish a doomsday device" Alyssa said sighing "But you know I just can't say no to that face."

"Imagine if the Enclave knew all it took to take down the Lone Wanderer was a pair of puppy dog eyes" Sarah said.

"I regret nothing" Alyssa replied, "What do you need?"

"We intercepted this outgoing communication last night as we were returning from patrol" Sarah said taping a button on her pipboy. It was a series of seemingly random tones and chimes; Alyssa recognized it as an old form of Brotherhood encryption.

"What does it say?" Alyssa asked.

"It's an old language, but I managed to work it out" Sarah said, "It's a detailed list of brotherhood and Mojave assets around New Columbia. Nothing too damaging, but nonetheless it's a leak we need to close."

"Any idea who sent it? Who the recipient was?"

"If I had to guess, considering this is encryption only used here in the west, Arthur" Sarah said crossing her arms "As to the recipient, I'd have to say the main Brotherhood faction."

"Why would he be sending this information in the first place; He's loyal to our faction" Alyssa said already knowing the reason "You don't think this is about Sally, do you?"

"Possibly, but Allyssa we have a bigger problem" Sarah explained "Do you know why we stopped using this encryption?"

"No why?"

"My father told me it was because the NCR cracked it" Sarah said, "The lost hills faction is essentially useless trapped by the NCR, but if Arthur tried to get a message to them it was probably overheard by the NCR."

"Dammit Arthur" Alyssa said, "Is this the first message?"

"We think so" Sarah said "But the information within isn't actually useful, most of it publicly available anyway. Regardless, I've already informed the Mojave government, and sent some of the Pride after Arthur."

"Good bring that idiot back here" Alyssa said, "I just fixed his arm, but now I'm going to crack his skull open."

"Mind if I help?" Sarah asked, "The little brat was my trainee, and I'd like to remind him why he used to fear our sparring sessions."

"Glad to hear it." Alyssa said "Bring him here when they find him. I've got one last meeting then we'll discuss how we're gonna handle this."

"The Pride will handle it" Sarah said.

Sarah left the room and after a few moments the merchant came in. She was a tall woman with a lean body and a short hair tied back into a ponytail. Her face had a hauntingly beautiful sharpness to it and eyes that oozed predatory charisma. The merchant wore a simple pair of boots, jeans, a t-shirt with Ironheade printed on it, and a vest of pockets. A strange warmth spread up Alyssa's spine as the woman locked eyes with her, and despite herself Alyssa blushed.

"How are you this morning, Miss Bronte was it?" Alyssa asked regaining her composure.

"Oh, I'm having a wonderful morning" The woman said with a smile.

"What can I help you with?" Alyssa asked.

"Well now that the courier is putting those transporters in every town a traveling merchant is kind of useless" The woman explained "I'm planning on using my savings to buy some real estate here in New Columbia and open a permanent shop."

"Well we can certainly use an experienced merchant" Alyssa said thinking of the loss of the traders from Canterbury commons "We'd be more than happy to sponsor you for citizenship as long as you bring your own capital to the table. But first I must ask, why choose New Columbia?"

"For starters, you have a lovely little town here" The merchant said "Second there's a ton of capital moving through this area as new housing and factories are built. Third, since you don't have a real merchant presence you'll need me to supply the community with goods at a fair price of course."

"I don't know Miss Bronte, we're a tight community here in New Columbia." Alyssa said using her most serious face. Truthfully New Columbia desperately needed a merchant as none of the Mojave's native merchants came anywhere near the former Nipton area. It was a daily hassle to send people to New Vegas to buy supplies even with the teleporters. An embedded merchant was almost necessary as the Mojave carved out new methods of commerce.

"I'd be happy to explain all of my qualifications" The merchant said, "Over lunch?".

"I'd love to, but I have some business to handle." Alyssa said mournfully thinking back to the burnt toast and watery coffee she had for breakfast "You know what, if you're willing to make it a late lunch I'd be happy to let you treat me."

"I'd love to" The merchant said.

"Well talk to my receptionist and I'll be with you in about an hour" Alyssa said, "See you in a few hours Miss Bronte."

"Please call me Roxanne"

/

Across the wastes a lone figure sat on the roof of a house almost obscured by the shifting sands. The sun light glinted of his metal prosthetics and the trail of smoke from his cigarette coiled into the wind. His rifle sat on the roof next to him recently oiled and cleaned. A copy of the Mojave Times fluttered in the wind as he read through the headline:

Legion heirs arrive in New Vegas!

The sons and daughters of the turncoat legion arrive in New Vegas as the Courier recovers from a vicious assault.

A sour taste coated his mouth and he took another drag from his cigarette. He had spent the last few days selling or giving away his personal items. His pack was filled with supplies, a few changes of clothes, spare ammo, and a few thousand caps. Everything was ready to go, but he hesitated at thought of what he was about to do. Funny how he fought through everything wasteland threw out, but the idea of leaving scared him so much.

The Mojave had been a nice distraction, while it lasted. He'd found a purpose here, and now that he had another it was time to leave. Grim determination painted his face as the potential consequences of his actions raced through his mind. Regardless of what happened next, He couldn't stay here in the Mojave; not with the Legion taking up permanent residence to the east.

Tossing the newspaper aside, Craig Boone stood and slung his rifle over his shoulder. He took a small black box from his pocket pressed the button on its top disappearing in a flash of blue light. Boone materialized on the Strip in front of Lucky 38. One of the two Securitrons guarding the door scanned his face and let him through.

He rode the elevator up to Rex's office and found Veronica behind Rex's desk surrounded by a dozen or so office drones. When she saw him, Veronica shooed the drones out of the room, and invited him to take a seat. Boone sat in the chair and coldly stared at Veronica as he thought about what he was about to say.

"You're looking great Boone." Veronica said, "Nice to see the prosthetics working."

Boone didn't answer and instead placed a small metal badge on the table. It was the badge Rex had given him when he appointed him the leader of the eastern forces. Veronica looked at the badge for a moment before looking back to Boone. The message passing between the two silently.

"Finally getting around to leaving then?" Veronica asked sadly.

"Yeah" Boone said "I walked with Rex, and I don't regret it. But I won't stand by while he gets in bed with the Legion."

"Boone, I know old hatreds don't die easy but…" Veronica began "These people want to be free of Caesar's teachings."

"You know they still call themselves the Turncoat legion?" Boone said with steel in his voice "After you've built them cities they can fortify you'll find them raping and crucifying before the paint dries."

"Boone that won't happen" Veronica said, "We've taken steps to ensure their cooperation, and both sides don't want another war. Give peace a chance."

"You know I can't" Boone said rising from his seat "Before I go I want to give you a piece of advice; watch everyone including Rex."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Veronica asked raising an eyebrow.

"After everything you've been through you're still the wide-eyed kid we picked up two years ago" Boone said taking out the teleporter "Rex and I are two birds of a feather. If you think you know everything he's planning chances are you'll never see the shot coming until it hits its mark."

Boone activated the teleporter and disappeared into a flash of blue energy. Leaving Veronica alone in the empty office. She cursed to herself and activated her pip boy's communicator dispatching orders to the soldiers calibrating the anti-teleportation fields around the city.

/

In the far east, nestled amongst the Colorado Rockies Vault 0 hummed with activity. Trucks acquired from the Mojave drove into the complex built around the entrance to Vault 0 carrying fresh recruits and supplies from all over the Midwest Brotherhood's territory. Standing above it, all was Isabelle Burnrows watching the activity from an exterior catwalk as she sipped from a steaming cup of coffee. In the distance, she could see the lights of Zero, the city built nearly a century before when Jackson "Warrior" O'Brien merged with the Calculator.

Though they then had access to the vast mainframes and technology at the Calculator's command; it took the Midwest brotherhood decades to recover. The Calculator had thrown every spare combat robot at them in that final push and the surrounding area had been all but destroyed. Now eighty-six years later the Brotherhood was an industrial power, and without the threat of the New legion to the west a new age of peace was beginning.

Isabella smirked at that. She had been the one to push for a partnership with the Mojave and its Courier. Now that a full alliance had been ratified between the two powers the Midwest Brotherhood was enjoying the windfall of technology and products. The Courier had forbidden any access to the truly delectable morsels like the Vending machines and hard light holograms, but had shared the plans for new reactors and a G.E.C.K.

She watched as an armored truck drove through the facility's main gate, and smirked. Fresh components for the calculator. Isabella turned and walked into the facility and through the labyrinth of hallways to the Calculators chamber. The massive Cyborg computer system had evolved over time into a row upon row of cylindrical tanks holding the dozens of brains that made up the organic component of the Calculator. The tanks held the brains of people from all walks of life; Scientists, farmers, Brotherhood Paladins, artists, writers, etc. At its center stood the last of the old tanks within floated the Calculator's main brain and interface.

"Hello Bella, how are today?" The Calculator asked as Brotherhood scribes wheeled in tanks containing fresh grey matter.

"I'm well, Elder" Isabella said.

"What is the situation in the Mojave?" The Calculator asked curiosity crackling in its synthesized voice.

"The courier is out of surgery and apparently awake." Isabella explained "He won't make a public statement himself until he's discharged for home rest in a few days. Unofficially, the intel suggests whatever attacked the Courier was linked to the unit of ex-NCR soldiers who participated in the initial attack. Right now, we know the Mojave's activated countermeasures against the NCR, but our assets have no solid intel on exactly what that means."

"Endeavor to remedy that lapse in our knowledge" The Calculator said, "Anything of note regarding the Turncoat Legion?"

"They're being good little dogs" Isabella said with contempt "Vein is keeping the tribes in line, and the heirs arrived safely in New Vegas. Naturally the populace is a little on edge, but tensions are being tempered by the Newsmen."

"Good, now there is no change to your main objective. Leave me; My new components are ready to be integrated." The calculator said as the lights in the main chamber dimmed as new brain tanks were connected to the system "Installation Complete. Organic processor reconciliation sequence activated. New Total: 158."

"Enjoy your meal Elder." Isabella said leaving the chamber.

/

"Purple" Alena said moving her queen piece across the chess board ever closer to her father's king "What's your favorite food?"

"I'd have to say a good piece of brahmin steak." Her father said moving one of his knights into her queen's path "What about you?"

To help the conversation her father suggested they take turns asking questions. When her father learned Alena knew how to play chess he insisted they play as they talked. Alena didn't know why, he was horrible. Almost every move let her take pieces from him, and she had taken his king piece three times now. She didn't mind though, the wins helped her relax as she talked with her father.

"Shielder steak cooked with wild onions." Alena said taking his knight with her queen "Old nan Moyda makes it best though. She uses some special spice the hunters gather when they go south."

A pang of homesickness stabbed her stomach then as memories of steaming meat filled Alena's head. Though most of the tribe avoided her because of her mutation there were some who had showed kindness to her. Some did it because of her mother's place as lore reader, but others like Old nan Moyda did it because they were nice. Her thought was broken by her father moving his last bishop into her queen's path. Why would he do that? Is he just trying to block the queen and not take her?

"I think it's your question" Her father said with a warm smile.

"Okay, what's it like having metal arms?" Alena said taking his bishop with her queen.

"Functionally they're better than my plain old organic arms, but I have no tactile sense in them, not yet anyway" Her father said scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"That doesn't sound very enjoyable" Alena said.

"Not remotely the most uncomfortable thing I've put up with in my life" Her father said moving his last knight around her queen towards her king "So, do you have any hobbies?"

"I like to take apart machines." Alena said moving her own knight to take the opposing knight "The hunters would always bring the back and I tear them apart."

"Nice to know oil runs through the blood" Her father said chuckling before taking her queen with a rook she hadn't noticed.

"I don't have oil in my blood" Alena said confused as she took the rook with one of her bishops.

"Figure of speech. Your question?" Her father said moving his king out onto the board out of reach of any of her pieces.

"How did you meet my mother?" Alena asked taking his king with her bishop.

"Ah, checkmate again. Your mother came to Dust with your grandfather when I was about nine." Her father explained resetting his pieces "Kicked my ass the first time I met her, if I recall."

"Why?" Alena said standing to stretch her legs.

"I tried to steal her canteen" Her father replied leaning back in his chair "Beat me with the blunt end of a spear until I gave it up."

"Momma loved that spear" Alena said remembering the tattered old spear that had hung in their hut "She said it made her think of you, but she wouldn't tell me why."

"And all I had to remember that day is a missing molar." Her father said with a pained chuckle.

"She really loved you" Alena said looking out the window "She was never with another man after I was born. Even with my mutation some of the tribe's men wanted her, and even my uncle tried to marry her off before she got sick."

Her father was silent and when Alena turned to face him; his face eyes were glassy as he stared at her. Years of absence and lost potential filled the space between them like a cloud of freezing cold mist. Alena felt a pang in her chest as she remembered the sad look in her mother's eyes whenever she talked about her father.

"Why did you leave us?"

"I was an angry child with a death wish" Her father said with regret in his eyes "When I went south I fully expected to die in some glorious act of revenge. In that selfish frame of thought, I never considered that there were people who cared about me. I didn't know Kella was pregnant, and it probably wouldn't have mattered I'm ashamed to say."

"She waited for you. Every day she waited, hoping you'd come back" Alena said anger dripping into her words "Even when she was wasting away she waited for you. But you never came back."

Emotion bubbled up from somewhere deep within her then. Old anger and hatred surfaced and she could feel hot tears welling up in her eyes. Alena locked eyes with her father, the man who stole her mother's heart and left them to the cruelty of the Tribe.

"You left us alone with the tribe" Alena said tears now streaming down her face "Where were you when they beat me bloody or when Momma started coughing up blood? Where were you when we needed you? Why is she gone and you're still alive?"

Her father rose from his chair onto shaky legs and turned to her. With shaking steps, he bridged the gap between them, and collapsed to his knees in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulder and without a word placed his forehead against hers.

"This is how she woke me after Dust burned" Her father said "This is how your mother held me as my world came crashing down. I know what it's like to lose someone you love, and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. But I'm here now."

The fire burnt out and Alena collapsed into her father's arms. He held her in a tight hug and she began to sob as he held her. She had steeled herself against her mother's death, but now that steel crumbled away and grief washed over her. Alena let herself feel her mother's loss and for the first time mourned for her mother as her father held her.

/

Later that night, Jack walked through the hallway outside Rex's hospital room. She had taken a few hours to herself to process the events of the last few days, and it had helped her decompress. Though Jack wouldn't admit it, a few hours of running errands with the girl scout had let her calm her frayed nerves. Rex had been busy with the kid, and she had only been shuffled off to bed in Veronica's suite an hour or so before leaving Rex alone while Jack was with Shepard.

She almost opened the door, but heard Rex speaking on the other side. She looked to the guard and he shrugged. Jack knew about Rex's ghosts, and had accidentally walked in on several one-sided conversations. Not that Jack could really judge; she had a few unwanted voices in her head to. Though they generally manifested as self-doubt and paranoia.

She quietly opened the door and saw him sitting in a chair with an empty glass in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. He looked out at the Strip in the distance, the light of the neon, dimmer this far out from the strip, cast strange shadows on his face as it flickered. The glass in his hand was cracked and looked like it was about to shatter as his metal hand clenched around it.

At first Jack thought he hadn't noticed her entering, but in the dim glow of the lights she saw his eyes focus on her for a moment before returning to the view outside the window. He placed the glass on the window sill and leaned back in his chair. The floor was littered with pictures, polaroids of Alena at various ages. Sometimes with the Kella woman, but mostly just the girl alone tearing apart a machine or shooting something with a rifle.

In the dim light of the room, Jack saw that several parts of the wall were punched in and white drywall coated Rex's knuckles. Jack could smell whiskey from the entrance to the room and as she stepped forward her foot sent a half empty bottle of whiskey rolling under the hospital bed.

"So, how'd it go?" Jack asked pulling up a chair next to Rex.

"Honestly?" Rex asked looking at her with hazy eyes "It took everything I have to hide how afraid I was of her."

"What? The big bad Courier afraid of a little girl." Jack said.

"Yes. I've faced every horror of the wastes Jack. Deathclaws, Milurks, Humans, and every beastie in between, but from the moment I saw her my blood went cold." Rex said the haze clearing from his eyes "My child. A little girl who grew up without a father in a village that hated her. What does her father feel when she tracks him down halfway across the continent? Fear."

"Why are you afraid of her?" Jack asked knowing the answer already.

"Because she's the living embodiment of potential energy" Rex said running a hand through his fuzzy hair "Kella was good and kind, but what am I? A schitzo who hallucinates that dead people talk to him. I kill people, and enjoy it. What kind of father can I be to a girl who's lived her entire life dealing with the cruelty of ignorant fucks?"

"The kind that doesn't give up." Jack said grabbing Rex by the shoulder "The kind who doesn't give a fuck if someone tells him something is impossible. The kind that loves a fucked-up bitch like me, and would give his life for his crew."

"thank you, Jack but…" Rex began.

"Shut up, you mopey idiot." Jack interrupted "I'm sick and tired of this bullshit that you're a monster. You think you're a monster because you've done some fucked up shit. News flash idiot we've all done fucked up shit, but it's what we decide to do going forward that matters."

"Get it through your thick skull that you're a halfway decent person before you let your chicken shit fears push away your own flesh and blood." Jack continued "Regardless of what you think about yourself, that girl still needs her father. I'll be fucking damned if I'm gonna let you sit in this room and chit chat with your delusions until you figure it out on your own."

Rex blinked up at her and fell back into his chair defeated.

"Well now I just feel like an asshole" Rex said.

"Good, you mopey bastard." Jack said standing up "Honestly, Now I know what Shepard feels like when she has to deal with our problems."

"You think I can be a good father?" Rex asked looking away towards New Vegas.

"Yeah, I do" Jack said "You give enough of a shit about her to wonder if you're good enough. In my book that's a good sign."

Rex looked at her for a moment and then nodded with a determined look on his face.

"Thanks" He said grabbing her hand "Nice to know I have a beautiful woman in my life willing to call me on my shit."

"Anytime Carrot top" Jack said placing her other hand top of Rex's "Now it's time you got some rest. I'm pretty sure Veronica's gonna start asking you do paper work while you're trapped in here."

"Oh joy. Something to look forward to I guess" Rex said standing careful "Care to join me in bed?"

"You woke up from a medical coma and can barely stand on your own" Jack said with a bemused smile "and you proposition me for sex?"

"Oh, you have my intentions all wrong" Rex said fake shivering "It's so cold in this hospital room, and the bed's so big. I was just hoping you'd help me warm up; you know being injured I don't want to develop a cold or something."

"uh huh" Jack said with a wink "If that's the case, you're the liable one if you end up in another coma."


End file.
